Rescue Me
by WeasleyIsMyKing540
Summary: AU/OOC: Its been 6 years since the 2nd Wizard War and Ginny Weasley is still fighting what seems to be a losing battle. Will her salvation come from her Slytherin best friends that she felt she would never see again? And will one of them save her even more from her shattered and battered heart? WARNING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. Bad!Harry. Please R&R Complete
1. Prelude: The Signs

Welcome To Rescue Me. This will be a Drinny fic. And it won't be all fun and games.

This fic is rated M for Mature for many reasons. One of the main reasons is that it contains domestic violence. If this is a trigger for you and you want to stop reading, I won't fault you. You've been warned.

People, both men and women, go through domestic violence on the daily. It's a horrible thing to witness and even worse to go through. If someone you know is going through it, please find a way to help them. Call the proper authorities, speak to their family, house them. If you are going through it yourself PLEASE GET OUT. No one deserves to be beat on by the one that they love.

This story also contains heavy language and adult situations.

And I mean it please leave before it's too late. Yes you who is reading this and thinking that maybe you should. You deserve much better. Get out.

This story will switch between Ginny's and Draco's POVs

I own none of the wonderful world of Harry Potter. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

"My mind is gone, I'm spinning round.

And deep inside, my tears I'll drown.

I'm losing grip, what's happening?

I stray from love, this is how I feel."

-Cry by Rihanna

* * *

Prelude: The Signs

 _June 1998_

No one rejoiced the day that I, Ginevra Weasley, and Harry Potter got back together after the Battle At Hogwarts more than Mum. I guess with the loss of Fred, she felt like she was gaining another son by me agreeing to mend things with Harry.

I remember as if it was yesterday. It was about a month after Fred's funeral. Ron and Hermione were so deep in love it was sickening. Beautiful, but sickening nonetheless. They would find any excuse to go somewhere to steal a snog in or just to be together. It used to be fun to me, Harry, and George trying to spy on the two of them (Ron had eventually dubbed us The Cockblock Crew) and it was even better when we were caught which was always. Hermione had some fine tune hearing.

But one day Harry and I had went and spied on our own and ended up getting turned on and started snogging ourselves. That's not the story we told Mum however. But she rejoiced and was so proud. She more than likely started planning out our wedding and kids.

I remember when I went back to school with Hermione and Ron. Mum and Hermione insisted Ron finish his schooling, but Harry had decided he would go into Auror training instead. I remember waving at him as the train pulled away and feeling as though I had left my heart behind.

I remember being somewhat incomplete during my 7th year. I didn't have Harry, Hermione and Ron were in their own lovely bubble, my poor friend Colin had died, and my two favorite boys, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy, didn't come back.

Yes, my two favorite boys were the kings of Slytherin. It had been like that since my 2nd year. After the mess with the diary and Tom Riddle, I had found myself with nobody to talk to. My family acted like they were either scared of me, or that I would break. On the way to Hogwarts at the start of my second year, Blaise and Draco had ran into me. Instead of teasing me like I expected, they both sat and actually talked to me as if I was a person and not a time bomb. We kept our friendship a secret for the next two years.

In Draco's 6th year, I was the one that he came to over his mission (even though he was extremely vague so I had no clue he was supposed to kill Dumbledore) and the fact that he didn't want to be a Death Eater. After he let the Death Eaters into the school, it took a long time for me to forgive him and let him back in. However, he and Blaise kept me sane while the trio was gone and we were in a school ran by Death Eaters. To not have them with me my last year actually hurt a lot.

The last time I saw them was the day of my graduation. They had came to see me walk which made me feel wonderful. We all went back to Gryffindor Tower and had a huge graduation party.

And that's the night that I saw the first sign.

* * *

There were shots all around. All of us (Harry, Ron, Luna, Neville, Blaise, Draco, Parvati and I) had lost count on how many we had and Hermione, being the only sober one, had taken Ron back to his dorm to sleep it off.

Everybody was dancing and having a great time when all of a sudden I found myself being snatched out of the portrait hole by a very drunk and very mad Harry.

"What the hell do you think you are doing Ginevra?" growled Harry.

"I could have sworn I was dancing but now I'm being scolded by you." I said with a giggle.

"Why the hell are you laughing? Did I say something funny?!" yelled Harry as he grabbed my arm.

I looked into Harry's eyes. They were green of course, but not the bright vibrant fun green they usually were. They were a dark green, almost haunting. Something wasn't right.

"Harry honey, I think maybe you have had-"

"Don't tell me what the fuck I have had when you're in there being a slag pressing your ass on all those prats in there! Is that the real reason you wanted to come back to school?" yelled Harry.

I was stunned. Harry had NEVER spoken to me like that before. It was rare that he was ever mad at me to even yell.

"Where the fuck is this coming from Harry? You really need to calm down." I said, getting worried.

"STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO GINNY!" yelled Harry so loud, I was shocked no one came out of the tower.

He started tightening his grip on my arms. "Harry let go you're hurting me. YOU'RE HURTING ME!" I said in a panic.

Harry let go and then sneered at me. He then walked away leaving me conflicted and confused.

I felt tears coming from my eyes. I hadn't cried since Fred's funeral, and before then, it was 5th year with Draco in the girl's bathroom. I felt hurt of course, but I also felt anger. The situation had sobered me up quickly, so I was thinking very clearly as I walked back into the portrait hole. The Fat Lady had seen everything and had given me a look of pity.

I didn't feel like going back to the party, I took the stairs up to my old dorm. Draco and Blaise must have seen me, because after I got into my dorm, they came busting right in before I could lock the door.

"Princess, my Princess (Draco had always called me his Princess), why did you leave your own party?" said Draco laughing at himself. "You know we wouldn't be slumming it with these lowlife Gryffindorks if it wasn't for you"

"Gryffindorks. Cute." I said.

"Come back down love." said Blaise trying to pass me another drink. I pushed it away.

As I pushed the drink away, Draco caught sight of my arm. "Ginny what the hell happened?" he said gently pulling my arm into the light. I didn't realize that Harry had gripped my arms hard enough to bruise.

"Are those...fingers?" Draco asked me suspiciously?

"I-"

Blaise took my other arm and held it to the light. "Hell yeah they are Drayke! She's got em here too!"

"Guys-"

"What the fuck happened Ginny? Who did this?" demanded Draco.

I looked down at the floor. "Harry did but he didn't mean it, he-"

Draco was heading towards the door. I threw a quick sealing charm on it so he couldn't get out.

"Draco no! He didn't mean it. He was drunk and we were dancing. He didn't realize how hard he was holding my arms until I felt the pain. It was a complete accident." I lied.

Draco looked like he didn't buy the bullshit that I had just tried to sell him. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I was there silly" I said smiling. I felt Blaise's eyes on me. He too knew I was lying.

"Okay fine. You saved Potter from getting his ass kicked." said Draco still looking as if he was ready to go and do it.

"Look guys, I'm not feeling all that well so Imma just turn in for the night. You don't have to stay. I'll owl you two sometime next week okay?" I said, trying to be casual.

"I'm not leaving." said Blaise with a smirk. "Parvati Patil has been whispering in my ear all night and I'm planning on turning those whispers into moans"

"Prat" I said as I unsealed the door and Blaise went out.

Draco, still unconvinced, came over to me. "You have never been good at lying to me, Princess." he said, lifting up my head with my chin. "You say the word. I don't care what time, day or night, and I'll be there for you, you got that?"

"Of course. But you already know I'm not a damsel in distress. I'll be fine." I said with a smile.

He kissed me on the forehead and left me in the room by myself.

I felt horrible for lying to them. Especially Draco. I've never ever kept anything from him. And he knew that something was wrong.

I laid in my bed. I figured this would pass. Harry just had too much to drink. He was emotional, stressed out from training. He didn't mean it and surely it wouldn't happen again.

But boy was I wrong.


	2. Chapter 1: Secrets

I'm lookin' in the mirror

At this woman down and out

She's internally dyin'

I know this was not what love's about

I don't wanna be this woman

The second time around

'Cause I'm wakin' up screamin', no longer believin'

That I'm gonna be around

-Rain On Me by Ashanti

* * *

Chapter 1: Secrets

 _April 2004_

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _It felt so good to finally hear from you! It's been almost 3 months since we last spoke and that makes no sense, as I see Harry at least 4 or 5 times a week._

 _If Harry hasn't told you already, Ron FINALLY proposed to me last week! I'm so excited! I thought it would never happen. You know how your brother is. Had to wait 7 years to get together, and then another 6 for him to ask me to marry him. Anyways, the wedding is in August, and I would love for you to be my matron of honor. Harry is Ron's best man, of course._

 _Is there any way you can meet up with Parvati, Luna, and I this weekend? They are my bridesmaids and I wanted to get together with all of you for lunch and a chat. It'll be fun! Please say you can come!_

 _All my love,_

 _Hermione_

I read the letter at least 5 times over. I was so excited for Hermione and Ron. They absolutely deserved it. They had been inseparable since the war, and she was Ron's everything. They still had arguments of course, but they stayed happy and in love.

Ron may have lost his temper and yelled (as they both had been doing since the day they met each other) when he was angry, but he never called her outside of her name, he never made her feel less about herself, and never never NEVER had he put his hands on her.

It made me wonder how Harry could do all the things he did to me on an almost daily basis and still be best friends with Ron.

After graduation, Harry and I moved into Grimmauld Place along with Ron and Hermione. We all lived there nicely for a year, and then Ron and Hermione moved into Hermione's old house that her parents had passed onto her. Hermione says that she thinks her mum did it that soon because she was ready for grandchildren. I was actually amazed Mum wasn't dropping hints to Ron about the same thing. But Victoire saved him from that headache.

Both Harry and Ron had become successful Aurors (Ron, who had quickly caught up to Harry with training despite him going back to Hogwarts, graduated the same time Harry did) and had started going on missions. Some were rather short. A few hours tops. But some were long. One was a month long and that was the one that Harry came back from a completely changed man.

*Flashback October 2000*

I had just came back from a girls night with Hermione, Luna, and Parvati. Since the war, the 4 of us girls seemed to have bonded even more and we were almost like those girls on that telly show Hermione introduced me to called Sex And The City.

I was on my way up to bed when the room seem to light up. I turned around to see Harry behind me holding out his wand.

"Damn Harry you scared the hell out of me!" I said relieved.

"Where have you been?" said Harry in a cold voice I had never heard before.

"I was with Hermione, Luna, and Parvati. You already knew that."

"Had I known you would be out that long I would not have let you go with those slags."

"Hey! They are not slags! How dare you say that about them. Especially about your best friend!" I yelled.

"Okay. Taking Hermione out of the equation, your friends are still slags." scoffed Harry.

"Okay I don't know what your problem is, but I'm going to need for you to calm down" I said putting my hand on his shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Harry shouted, smacking my hand away hard.

I was stunned. What the hell was wrong with him? Who had pissed him off today?

I started walking backwards away from him. He kept walking towards me. His stare was cold, and his eyes looked like the eerie green from graduation night.

"You're not hanging out with them anymore." said Harry as if he were my father.

"Excuse you? Who do you think you are? I can hang out with anyone I see fit!"

SMACK!

My face felt like it was on fire. I tasted blood on the side of my lip.

"Did...did you just slap me?!" I said not believing what had happened.

"Would you like for me to do it again?" he exclaimed.

SMACK!

The other side of my face now felt the same as the first blow. I stared at Harry in fear. I was speechless. I couldn't move.

"You won't be around them again will you?" ordered Harry in that cold voice of his.

I shook my head slowly. I couldn't find words to say.

He smirked and walked away, leaving me in the dark, confused and wounded.

*END FLASHBACK*

I didn't tell anyone about what happened that day, nor have I told anyone what has been happening since that day. Who could I tell? The only friend I wasn't forbidden to see was Hermione, and even with that I couldn't see her how I wanted to.

She had no idea that almost daily I was getting abused in some kind of way by Harry. She had no idea that Harry had broken my wand and wouldn't allow me to get a new one. She had no idea that the time I went to the hospital for slipping and falling in Diagon Alley was really because Harry had pushed me down the steps. If she knew, she would have surely told Ron, and Ron would have killed him.

When I would visit The Burrow, I would never stay long. Mum would go on and on about how great a person Harry was and I hated to hear it because I knew the truth. She probably wouldn't have believed me if I told her that the black eye she seen me with wasn't caused by a spell backfiring, but from a stinging jinx Harry had hit me in the face with.

* * *

I decided to take a walk around Muggle London. I went to the park down the street from our house and watched the kids play. I wanted children so badly. But I could never even dream of having a child with Harry the way he was right now.

I sat and watched as a beautiful little black girl with long bouncing black curls was running around being chased by a man with platinum blonde hair. I'd know that hair from anywhere.

"DRACO?!" I yelled.

The man stopped and looked over at me. He called the little girl over and picked her up. He slowly walked toward me, unsure of who I was. I had a scarf over my head but once he really recognized me...

"GINNY! Is that really you?" he said beaming.

I ran up to him and gave him the tightest hug I could without hurting the confused looking girl in his arms.

"It's so good to see you Draco!" I said, sounding like an excited child.

"Good to see you too! It's been way too damn long." said Draco just as excitedly as I. "I was starting to think you didn't want shit to do with me anymore. One could get that impression after 6 years of not hearing from you."

"I'm sorry Draco. It has been too long." I said smiling.

He was even more gorgeous than the day I had last seen him. He had to have grown a couple more inches, gained more muscle, and just looked as if he was happier, better.

"Is this little one yours?" I asked smiling at the beauty in his arms as she smiled back.

"Just for the day. Jada Zabini, meet Princess Ginevra Weasley" he said to the little girl.

"I thought I was your Princess, Uncle Drayke" said Jada poking her lip out.

'Yes of course you are my love, but Ginny is another Princess of Uncle's. Surely you can be a good girl and share." said Draco, his voice sugary sweet. It amused me.

Jada looked at me as if she was sizing me up. "Do you like to draw?"

"I smiled. "Oh yes. All kinds of things."

"Do you like to draw unicorns?"

"Those are my favorite things to draw"

Jada smiled. "Okay. I guess you can be a princess too. Can I go play now?"

Draco put her down. She ran back to the playground and started playing with the other children.

"Stay in my sight, Jada Bug." called Draco after her.

"Wow. Blaise finally settled down and got a family?" I asked.

"He tried, but her mother didn't really want all that. What's worse, when she found out Zabini was a wizard, she didn't want anything to do with her child either." explained Draco.

I gasped. "Jada's a half-blood?" Wow! Blaise actually touched a muggle?"

"Shocked me too when I found out. He was actually in love with her. Then she got pregnant, found out about him being a wizard, and threatened to abort the baby. Zabini's family paid the woman to have her. So when she had Jada, she didn't waste time taking the money and running. Last time she seen Jada was when she was 6 months old and she had signed over her rights."

"That's absolutely terrible. I couldn't imagine abandoning my child like that. How old is she?"

"4. My god daughter. Only we are to be married when she turns 6 according to her." laughed Draco.

I laughed along with him. "Well please be sure to send me an invite to the wedding. I would love to give you away."

"I'll be sure to do that. Would have invited you out more if I knew where the hell you were, Gin." said Draco in a more serious tone that made me feel guilty.

"I'm sorry Draco. I've been wanting to see you and Blaise for so long but..." I stopped myself.

I couldn't tell him what was going on. I didn't know where to begin. How could I tell him that the real reason why I hadn't spoken to either of them since graduation was because Harry begged me not to in order to 'make our relationship work'? How could I tell him that two years ago on his birthday, I had wanted to send him a card, but Harry ripped it up and burned it?

"But what?" asked Draco, looking into my eyes. His beautiful gray eyes had always been able to see right through me. He knew something was wrong. He knew I was trying to hide the truth from him. I couldn't lie to Draco Malfoy.

"But you know how Harry feels about you." I said, which technically wasn't a lie.

"Shit, you're still with fucking Potter, Gin?" he said with absolute disgust.

"Draco..."

"Don't 'Draco' me Ginny. He's a fucking tosser and you know it. Fuck how he feels about me. I don't give a fuck about him. He's no friend of mine." said Draco, angrily.

"I know this." I said, glumly.

"So what, he told you that you couldn't talk to us anymore? Since when have you ever been a woman that took orders from some guy?"

I looked at the ground. I didn't know what to say. Draco was right. Growing up with 6 brothers had taught me to think for myself. But Harry had killed that part of me a long time ago.

Draco took his fingers and lifted my head up by my chin to get me to look at him. "You know you're still my princess right?" he asked me softly.

I nodded not knowing what to say.

"You remember what I told you right? You say the word. I don't care what time, day or night. And I'm there for you, you got that?" said Draco repeating word for word what he told me graduation night.

"Of course." I said remembering my response. "But you already know I'm not a damsel in distress."

"You've never been good at lying, your highness. At least not to me.' He said gently pulling my chin up even further smiling at me.

The simple way he was touching my face felt wonderful to me. He was touching me as if I was made of crystal and I could shatter at any second. It made me feel special. Something I hadn't felt in a long time.

And then the smile disappeared.

"What's this Gin?" he asked looking at the mark on the side of my right eye.

"Oh that? I've had it for years" I lied. "Hermione and I were dueling for fun and her spell hit some glass and it grazed me. It's fine though."

Actually it came from when Harry was trying to punch me in the eye and I turned, and his ring that he had on nicked me. And it had happened a couple weeks ago.

Draco didn't buy it. I could tell from the way his eyes were starting to go deep. He took a finger and lightly rubbed the cut. I wanted to cry right then and there, but I couldn't let him see just how weak I had became.

"I have to go Draco." I said softly. Draco smiled and pulled out a scrap piece of parchment, and wrote on it.

"My address." He said. "Floo there anytime you need to talk, need a break, or need to get away. I'm serious, Ginny."

"Thanks Draco. Give my love to Blaise."

"Oh he is going to be so happy that I seen you and even happier that Jada met you. Don't be a stranger anymore. No matter what Potter says. Fuck that Scarhead." said Malfoy giving me a kiss on the cheek that felt like an electric shock.

I waved to him and walked away. It felt so good to see him again. But it felt even worse to walk away from him.

Especially when I knew that he knew something was up. And when Draco Malfoy was onto something, he never lets it go.


	3. Chapter 2: Save Me

I know a place that we can go to

A place where no one knows you

They won't know who we are

I know a place that we can run to

And do those things we want to

They won't know who we are

Let me take you there

I wanna take you there

-Let Me Take You There by Plain White T's

* * *

Chapter 2: Save Me

As the car drove through Muggle London on the way back to Zabini's, I found myself thinking about the conversation I had with Ginny.

I was blown away seeing my old best friend. She was still the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life with her deep crimson hair blowing in the wind, her gorgeous amber eyes, her beautiful smile.

But there was something missing. Her eyes didn't seem to sparkle like they used to when we were at school. Her hair wasn't that fiery color that is used to be that made her head look like it was engulfed in flames when she used to play Quidditch. Her smile wasn't as bright as it was when she would laugh and joke around with Zabini and I on Hogsmeade weekends.

There was a sadness looming over her. She didn't seem like that strong fireball I knew. She seemed timid and introverted. Sure, she tried to put on a great show in front of me, but I saw right through that shit. Something happened to her. Something was happening to her. And I was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Uncle Drayke?" asked Jada pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yes mamn?" I responded.

"You member Princess Gin... Ginv...Ginva?" she asked, trying to get Ginny's name right.

"Princess Ginny" I laughed.

"Yes her. Is she okay? She looked sad."

See Ginny? Even a 4 year old that only saw you for 2 minutes saw past your bullshit.

"She's okay. She just had a long day and was tired. Like your daddy is sometimes when he works"

"Oh. Okay. Well she is really nice. Maybe one day she can draw with me" said Jada.

The way to Jada's heart was drawing. If you could draw anything properly, you were her friend for life.

"Yeah. Maybe she can. You know she used to draw with Daddy and Uncle in school." I said.

Jada smiled. She liked hearing the very exaggerated kid friendly tales of her father and I in school. Where me, him, and our pretty friend would save people, fly on brooms, and fight evil teachers. They were almost like bedtime stories for her.

We took a street that turned into the wizard suburb that Zabini's mother lived in. When we pulled up to the house, Zabini was already outside, talking to one of the pretty housewives that lived around there.

Git.

Jada ran up and gave him a hug. "Guess what Daddy? Uncle Drayke took me for ice cream, and then to the muggle am...a am...aminal place (zoo), and then to the playground. I played with the kids and I met a real princess!" said Jada happily.

"A real princess you say? That's great!' Zabini said humoring his daughter.

"Oh yes Daddy! Only she didn't have a crown and she didn't wear a big princess dress with jewels on it, but Uncle Drayke said she was his princess before I was his princess so we have to share. She's really really pretty Daddy. She had long red hair and dots on her face."

Zabini looked at Jada confused. Then he looked at me. I nodded. I knew what he was thinking.

"How about you run into the house to see Nonna and tell her all about your day and get a snack while I talk to Uncle Drayke, okay love? " said Blaise putting Jada down.

Jada nodded and ran into the house.

"You saw Ginny?" he said quickly, eyes big as saucers.

"Yeah, when I took Jada to the park. She called me. I didn't even recognize her at first."

"What do you mean?"

"Well she looks like Gin. But then again she doesn't. She looks worn out. Tired as hell. Even your daughter picked up on it."

"Jada is pretty perceptive. What are you thinking?" asked Zabini.

"I don't know. Maybe it's work or something. Shit I didn't even think to ask her where she worked." I said, feeling lousy.

"Fuck where she works." said Zabini. "Did you ask her why the fuck did she fall off the face of the Earth?"

"Potter" I growled

"Potter?! That bitch" said Zabini, almost spitting it out like it was a disgusting word to say about.

"Exactly. You know she's still with that piece of shit?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"You have got to be kidding me. Why the hell is she still with that egotistical douche?! You know I see him at those stuffy ass Auror galas and shit and I have NEVER seen Ginny with him?"

"Really?" I said. "Never?"

"Nope not once. He's usually with Weasley and Granger. Granger is always Weasley's date of course, but I always assumed Potter just liked going stag. Who knew he had Ginny at home." said Zabini, looking curious.

I stood there thinking about if I should tell Zabini what I thought about the situation. I knew if I told him, he would react like if he was Weasley himself. Ginny was like a sister to him.

"She had a cut near her eye." I said almost in a whisper, but Zabini heard it.

"A cut?" he asked.

"Said she got it from dueling Granger."

Zabini rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Granger doesn't play about her hexes. She wouldn't throw one at Ginny that would possibly hurt her. I don't believe that shit for a second."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked my best mate.

"If we are thinking the same thing, then we need to find some time in our schedules to kick Potter's fucking ass." said Zabini, eyes burning with anger.

"Exactly. We shall see. I gave her my address to floo me whenever. We shall see soon what's going on." I said.

* * *

Three nights later I woke up to a loud thump coming from the sitting room of my house. I looked at the clock. 2am? What the fuck? I pulled out my wand from under my pillow and quietly stepped over to my bedroom door. I heard light footsteps and then what sounded like someone falling onto the couch.

I opened my bedroom door and slowly stepped out wand at the ready. I looked over at the couch and saw the moonlight catch red hair.

"Ginny?" I said. It had to be her.

No answer.

"Ginny? Ginny!" I shouted.

I ran over to the couch where Ginny had passed out. I waved my wand and cut on the lights and instantly wanted to throw up.

There laid my princess with a busted lip, a swollen cheek, and what looked like the start of a black eye. She had bruises forming on her chest and her legs as she had sleep shorts on. Her hair was all over the place and it had blood in it.

"GINNY WAKE UP! SHIT WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO?! GINNY!" I yelled frantically at the top of my lungs.

I ran and got a rag and put some ice in it. I put it to her lip and the coldness caused her to stir.

"Ginny wake up love, wake up!" I said not knowing what to do. I couldn't shake her. I didn't know how injured she was.

I put the rag on her cheek and her eyes shot open and darted around until they landed on my face. She looked like she didn't realize where she was, which wasn't a surprise. She had never been here before.

"Draco, I..." she tried to say. Her voice cracking and hoarse, like she had been screaming and crying for hours.

'"Shhhhhhhh don't speak. You just lay here. I got you." I said, trying my best not to lose my sanity over the sight of my best friend beaten and bruised.

"Does he know that you're here?" I asked. She slowly shook her head.

"I need to take you to St Mungo's so they can check you out, Gin."

"No please Draco don't! He'll find me. I can't let him find me." she pleaded.

"I'm no healer Ginny. I can only do so much for you. Something may be broken."

"Nothing feels broken and you know I would know. As many broken bones I've endured playing Quidditch" said Ginny attempting to make a joke.

I smiled to humor her, but I didn't find the situation funny at all.

"Where's your wand?" I asked her. "Please tell me you at least got a hex in on that bitch."

Ginny closed her eyes. "I haven't hexed anyone in years. He broke my wand a long time ago."

"WHAT?!" I shouted. I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

"Said I didn't deserve to do magic. I've probably forgotten how to throw a hex by now" said Ginny, as tears started to fall.

"Can you move? Does it hurt to move?"

"No. Not as much as it did. I'm just exhausted." claimed Ginny. "I came in from meeting Hermione to talk about her wedding and he didn't like that I was out that long because it was Hermione, Parvati, and Luna and he doesn't like them anymore. He doesn't like me being around them, but I can't help that we are all a part of Hermione's wedding party. We started arguing. He got mad. And, well...here are the results."

I had my hand over my mouth in shock and anger. I wanted to beat the fuck out of him. I wanted to kill him. Fucking coward. What real man beats up on a woman?

"Does Ron know?" I asked.

"Ne, he does not. And neither does anyone else but you and you're not going to tell. You're going to be quiet about this." demanded Ginny.

"The fuck I am Ginevra! I'm telling your brother!" I yelled.

"DRACO NO! I DON'T NEED YOU TELLING HIM SHIT!"

"WHY THE FUCK NOT?! HIS BEST MATE IS BEATING YOUR ASS!"

"HE CAN'T KNOW DRACO!"

I got up and started pacing the floor. What the hell was wrong with her?! This is not the Ginny Weasley I remembered. The Ginny I remembered wouldn't take this shit. I couldn't believe what that bastard had done to her!

"Fine. If I'm not telling, you're staying. And you're at least telling Zabini." I said, pointing at her.

Ginny threw up a hand. "Oh yeah Draco, I'm going to tell Blaise who is just as bad as Ron."

"They aren't shit compared to what I want to do Ginny, and you know it. The only thing keeping me from going over there and killing him myself right now is you. I'm telling Zabini at least and there isn't anything you can do to stop me." I said, stubbornly putting my foot down.

Ginny sighed and nodded. I opened my arms and let her come up for a hug. I held onto her for what seemed like forever. I didn't want to let her go.

"Go get yourself cleaned up. You can use whatever you want in the shower and whatever PJs in there you want, take em. Imma make us some tea okay?" I said softly.

"Thank you Draco."

"No need for thanks, Princess. You know I would do anything for you." I said.

She smiled and went into the loo.

I threw up a silencing bubble around me and screamed at the top of my lungs. I was angry. I was hurt. I was enraged. I wanted to lock her in my room and never let her out. I wanted to go over to Potter's and erase him out of existence.

What kind of friend was I? Why didn't I fight to keep in contact with her? Why did I just let her go home the day I seen her in the park? None of this shit should have happened. I had been watching over her since her 2nd year. How the fuck did I drop the ball like that?

I wrote a quick note to Zabini telling him to come by when he got off work later on so we could all talk. I tied it around Zeus, my eagle owl's leg, and he flew off into the night.

20 minutes later, Ginny came from the loo looking cleaner, but still bruised. I did a few healing spells on her and used dittany on the small cuts and her lip and soon she looked almost like herself.

"You're still gonna have a black eye and a few bruises but I guess you can use that make up shit you girls use on your face and legs." I said handing her a cup of tea.

Ginny nodded taking the cup and sipping it slowly. I couldn't help but look at her. I couldn't believe that this shit was happening to my best friend and I couldn't do shit about it.

"What time do you work in the morning?" I asked her.

Ginny looked down. "You know how I used to play for the Harpies?"

"Yeah. Best chaser in the league. I haven't been following lately though."

"I haven't played in 3 years."

"WHAT?! WHY THE HELL NOT?"

"Harry didn't like me going away for weeks on end. Even though with him being an auror he did the same thing."

I was livid. "Ginny what the hell! I'm not trying to blame you but how in the hell did you end up living this way?"

"I don't fucking know Draco. And I don't need to hear that! Not from you. Your opinion means alot to me" said Ginny, in a sorrowful voice.

"Yeah and my opinion is that Potter needs to be fucked up immediately, but you won't let me do that." I said fuming.

"Please don't fight with me. I don't want a battle from you too.' said Ginny starting to cry.

I pulled her into me and held her close. "You know I would never be like that with you. Never."

She nodded and snuggled into my chest. I scooped her up, took her in my room, and laid her on my bed.

"You can sleep here tonight. I'll take the couch."

"You'll do no such thing." said Ginny scooting over. "Stay here with me. Please?"

I shrugged and climbed in beside her. She got in close to me and I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"You can stay as long as you want to. You know that right?"

She nodded.

"I'm serious. You can lounge around here tomorrow and when Zabini gets here we will go get you some clothes and whatever else you need and you can stay here as long as you need and want to. Stay forever. It doesn't matter."

Ginny looked up at me and smiled. "Thanks Draco. I've missed you so much."

"Yeah. I've missed you too." I said as I felt her drift off to sleep.

I looked down at her face. She still looked like that innocent, fiery, fun loving girl I started befriending in my 3rd year. Still that vibrant, take no nonsense girl I had come to know in 5th. And that gorgeous, loving, kind, sarcastic girl that I had started to fall in love with in 6th. Only by 7th I had lost her to that Godforsaken Potter.

But I vowed I was not gonna lose her again.


	4. Chapter 3: Going Back

I was naive, your love was like candy

Artificially sweet, I was deceived by the wrapping,

Got caught in your web and I learned how to bleed

I was prey in your bed and devoured completely

-Walk Away by Christina Aguilera

* * *

Chapter 3: Going Back

I woke up not knowing where I was. As I looked around the room I realized that I was being surrounded in warmth. Not the warmth of my so called lover. But the warmth of my very best friend.

I looked up at the person who's chest resided under my head. I smiled. There was Draco looking peaceful and sweet. Two things he would rarely show to anyone, but I knew. I knew all of his secrets. Even some that he didn't know about himself.

I felt comfortable and safe, so I went back to sleep. Hours later, I was awakened by a child's scream.

"Ooh look Daddy look! It's the princess! But why is she in Uncle Drayke's bed Daddy?"

"Okay yeah you go in Uncle Drayke's study and play with his breakable things, how bout that love?" said an all too familiar smooth voice.

"Ever heard of knocking Zabini? Ginny and I could have been in the middle of some hardcore friend shagging." said Draco stretching.

"Malfoy you're a pig!" I said slapping his chest.

I climbed out of his bed and ran into my unofficial brother's arms. As soon as he caught me I started crying. I had no idea how much I had truly missed both of these men. I felt like a total bitch for not staying by them after I got out of school. They were truly my best friends. My hearts. And I was foolish to stay away.

"Ginny my love, it's been way too long." said Blaise putting me down.

"It really has. I guess long overdue congrats are in order?" I said, looking at the room that Blaise had sent his daughter to.

"Yes, thank you. I'm afraid we can no longer be, Gin. Another girl has stolen my heart." joked Blaise.

"I forgive you. She is far more beautiful than I am. I'm happy you finally found a girl to settle down with." I said, winking.

Blaise laughed. "So what's the plan? I'll have Jada for now and then she is supposed to go and play at Pansy's in another couple of hours."

"Wait. Pansy? As in Pansy Parkinson? Someone breeded with her?!" I asked, astonished that anyone would go near that Venus fly trap of a woman.

The boys laughed. "Yeah I forgot to mention Pansy has twins Jada's age. She's now Pansy Parkinson-Goyle." said Draco.

I made a gagging sound. "A match made in hell. I pray the children didn't suffer."

"Surprisingly no they haven't. Logan and Lavinia are some pretty cute kids." said Blaise. "Oh here. Brought you this. Figured you didn't want to go shopping in Drayke's clothes."

Blaise held out a very pretty green sundress. "Still trying to stick me in Slytherin attire, huh Blaise?" I said taking the dress.

"You and I both know you were sorted into the wrong house"

"Whatever. Thanks Blaise. Let me go change"

As I went to the loo, I overheard Draco and Blaise talking. They were never good at whispering.

"What the fuck did he do and why aren't we over there kicking his ass?" said a very angry Blaise.

"She came over here at 2 in the morning,mate. She looked even worse than that. She doesn't want me to do anything but I can't sit by and let that bastard beat on her!" said Draco

"You know I feel the same way. She's practically my sister. Does her family know?" asked Blaise

"They don't know shit and she won't tell them."

"Oh I'll see Weasley either tomorrow or the next, and I'll be sure to -"

"No Zabini you can't say shit. She will tell you the same thing. Let's just take care of her for now. Just know his ass isn't getting away with this. " growled Draco.

I smiled. They haven't changed at all since school. Six years apart and they could still come together and be there for me as if the years didn't happen.

Later that day we found ourselves in Diagon Alley. Jada looked like a miniature girl version of Blaise, with the same deep midnight blue eyes that was truly a Zabini trait. She was just as smart and just as witty as her father to be only 4 years old. She had a huge imagination. She would make up stories about her dad being a king, and her Uncle Drayke being the prince that would save her from evil dragons. She talked about the baby unicorn that her dad had gotten her for her birthday, and how she couldn't ride it yet, but it was her best friend. All in all, I enjoyed being around the girl and the experience made me want children of my own even more.

It also for some strange reason, made me want to reach out to Harry in hopes that he had time to think about his actions.

We met up with Pansy (marriage life must have done her well, she was no longer a bitch) to drop off Jada with her. Draco was right, her twins were absolutely beautiful, and very mannerable.

The, we went to dinner. We talked about the past and how much fun we had in school. We started catching up and Blaise told me the story about Jada and her muggle mom Vivian, and Draco told me about his father finally getting the Dementor's kiss and how his mother was doing. He was determined to take me to see her, as she adored me and still asked about me from time to time. All in all, we had a wonderful night that I wished wouldn't have ended.

* * *

The wonderful night had stretched out to a wonderful week. Draco had taken the rest of the week off to stay at his flat with me and we talked about everything from the most silly to the most serious. And of course about Harry.

"You know you don't have to go back there Gin. Like I said you can stay here as long as you want." said Draco, playing with my hair.

"I have to Draco. He needs me." I said.

"The only thing he needs from you is a good Bat-Bogey hex. And you better give it to him. I didn't get you a new wand for you not to use it."

"I know. And thank you for this. Now all I gotta do I figure out how to hide it from him."

Draco got up from the couch we were sitting on and went over to the kitchen counter. He acted like he was trying to scratch something off of it but I knew him better. He was wanting to say something but couldn't find the words.

"Gin, I don't want you to go back." said Draco in a pleading but soft voice.

"I know and I'm sorry, but it isn't about what you don't want me to do. I've been gone for a week. I haven't spoken to him, nor Ron, nor any of my family. They don't know what's going on."

"Then tell them Ginevra! Tell them what's going on so you don't have to go back."

"Harry needs me, sweetheart. He really does. True, he shouldn't put his hands on me, but he is still going through shit with the war, and auror work. It's just a lot on his plate." I said, making excuses for him.

"Didn't your brother go through the exact same shit?" asked Draco

"Yes..."

"And does your brother treat Granger like that?"

"No never. He wouldn't do that to her and Hermione wouldn't take that."

"Then why are you?"

His words were ringing in my head. He was totally right. But I still couldn't abandon Harry like that. I walked over to Draco and melted into his arms.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. If something happens, I'll contact you or Blaise."

"You should do that anyways. Don't you dare walk out of our lives like that again. And you certainly can't abandon Jada." said Draco, firmly.

I laughed. "Of course not. She's my little ray of sunshine. I simply adore her."

I grabbed my wand and started to head out the door. Draco came behind me and closed it. He took my arm and spun me around to him. His gray eyes looked into my brown and were filled with sorrow and longing. It made me want to cry.

"I don't want to lose you" he said, his lips inches away from mine. I felt myself wanting to stay with him. Wanting to remain in his strong safe arms and kiss him until I couldn't think clearly.

But I had to go back.

"You won't lose me. I promise. I'll contact you okay?"

And then it happened. His lips pressed into mine. So soft, so loving, I felt as if I was floating. I found myself kissing him back just as softly. Everything in that moment felt so right.

Wait, what was I doing?

I pulled back and looked at him. I knew I was breaking his heart. Mine was breaking itself, but I couldn't stay.

"I'm sorry Draco. I have to go." I said opening his door as quick as I could and running out.

I ran out of the building still feeling the tingle of Draco's lips on mine. I kept running until I reached the apparition point and apparated to the only other safe place I knew.

Ron and Hermione's.

* * *

It was early, but I knocked on the door until a very sleepy and very grouchy Ron opened it. When he finally focused on me, he woke right up

"Bloody hell Ginny, get in here!" He said pulling me into the house. "Where the hell have you been? We've been looking all over for you!"

"And by we you mean..."

"Harry of course. And me, Mione and George. We haven't told Mum anything. You know how she would be if she found out you just disappeared." said Ron, like the overprotective brother he was.

I rolled my eyes. "Where's Hermione? Oh yeah, congrats by the way. It's about time you popped the question."

Ron ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah you know me. Always taking forever to do what I should have done from the start. Believe me, if I could have married her in school before asking her out I would have."

"You're a git." I said pushing him. "I'm glad you are finally going all in for your love"

"Thanks. I couldn't see my life with anybody else." said my lovesick brother, blushing.

"Ron? Who are you talking to?" I heard a familiar voice from the other room call out.

"Oh no one. Just this missing person here" joked Ron as Hermione came into the sitting room where Ron had pulled me into.

"GINNY! OH MY GOD, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" screamed Hermione crashing into me for a hug.

"I'm fine Hermione I'm fine." I laughed hugging her. "I just needed some time to myself."

"You could have at least said something Ginny. Harry has been so worried."

The smile that I had on my face quickly disappeared. I felt Ron's eyes on me but I didn't look his way.

"Has he now? I'm sorry. I just needed a vacation from it all." I said.

"But he said you just left in the night. He woke up and you were gone. Who does that Gin, that's scary. I would hex you into oblivion if you ever tried that with me Ronald Weasley!" said Hermione, pointing a finger up at Ron

"Okay how did this get onto me?"

"I'm sorry okay? Can't you two just be happy I'm here and not dwell on the fact that I left?' I said getting angry.

Ron and Hermione looked at me, concern written all over their faces. "You're right, Ginny." said Hermione smiling. "Good to have you back. We should let Harry know right away, yeah?"

"Yeah...sure" I said hesitantly as I sat down on their couch.

Ron looked at me as if he could read my mind. Being a year older than me, Ron knew me inside and out. When I'm in his face, he could read me. He always knew when something was wrong.

Which is why I avoided him the most.

"Something wrong Gin?" he said suspiciously.

"No. Everything's fine." I said quickly

Ron stared at my face. "Mione, I think we should let Ginny rest before contacting Harry. She looks tired."

Hermione nodded. "Okay that's fine. Ginny, you know where the guest room is. Go bunk in there okay?"

I got up and gave Ron a hug and whispered a thank you. I then went to their guest room and plopped onto the soft bed and was asleep in minutes.


	5. Chapter 4: The Rescue

How can you see into my eyes like open doors?

Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb

Without a soul my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold

Until you find it there and lead it back home

-Evanescence Bring Me To Life

* * *

Chapter 4: The Rescue

A month. And entire fucking month without even a word. A damn sound. Nothing.

Zabini worked in the department of the ministry that Weasley sometimes corresponded with. I would have him try to squeeze Ginny into their conversations and every time he came back with the same response: Ginny's good.

Yeah, like that prat would know. His fucking sister had been beaten and he still had no fucking clue. I knew I shouldn't be angry with him. If Ginny wasn't speaking and there wasn't any hint of it, how would he be expected to know?

I decided that enough was enough. I had to hear something from her. I had to know how she was doing.

I decided that I was going to do something that if it wasn't for Ginny, I would kill myself for doing.

I was going to pop over to Weasley and Granger's house.

I knocked on the door of their home and waited. Finally the door opened to reveal that bushy haired know it all with a sugar quill in her mouth. She stared at me as if I had come back from the dead.

"Malfoy?" she said confused as to why I was at her doorstep.

"Granger. I need to talk to you. May I come in?" I asked as politely as I could muster.

"Umm...sure. Come, come right in." She said hesitantly, opening her door wider so that I could come in."

"Is Weasley about?" I asked the bewildered woman.

"No. He's close to getting off of work." said Granger looking at me as if I was going to kill her or something.

"Damn. I was hoping he would be here. Didn't feel like repeating myself."

Granger looked at me with annoyance in her face but also concern. "Is there something wrong?"

"Have you heard from Ginny lately?"

Granger started to look less annoyed. "I mean she owled me the other day-"

"When is the last time you saw her?" I asked, interrupting her.

"About a week ago, when we went to look at bridesmaids dresses."

"SHE FUCKING GETTING MARRIED?!" I yelled.

Granger took a few steps back. "No, me and Ron are." she said showing me her ring.

"Oh...right well...congrats. Sorry about that" I said, calming down. The thought of Ginny marrying Potter almost gave me a heart attack.

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks. So is there something I can help you with because I really need to be going. I'm supposed to be meeting Ron for dinner in a few minutes." said Hermione, putting her wild hair up in a ponytail.

"Can I join you two?" I asked. "Under normal circumstances I wouldn't impose, but as I said, I don't feel like repeating myself."

"I mean it's supposed to be a date..."

"It's important Gra- Hermione." I said trying to be sincere.

She sighed, giving in. "Okay fine. This better be important."

We ended up in Hogsmeade at The Three Broomsticks. Weasley was already there and he looked stunned to see his fiance walk in with his childhood enemy. Through the years, we had chose to be more civil to each other, but we didn't hang out like best mates.

"Weasley" I greeted him, handing out my hand for him to shake.

"Malfoy, how's business?" asked Weasley trying to be casual as he shook my hand. Firmly. Iron grip, that one.

"It's good. But I'm not here to discuss my business, Weasley. I'm here to discuss yours. Or rather, your sister's."

Weasley whole mood changed. "What in the hell is going on?"

"You two might want to sit down" I said pulling out a chair for Granger.

She reluctantly sat down along with Weasley. I went and ordered a butterbeer and two glasses of firewhiskey. I knew Weasley would need one.

I sat down at the table with them. Ginny was gonna kill me for this, but I didn't care.

"Okay, so did you know that Ginny was gone for a week last month?" I asked

"Yes, but how did YOU know she was gone for a week last month?" asked Weasley, suspiciously.

"Because she was at my place." I said downing my firewhiskey.

Weasley and Granger stared at me. "What?" exclaimed Weasley. "What the bloody hell was she doing at your place?!"

"Well she is my best mate, why wouldn't she come to my place Weasley?" I asked, offended.

"Well you haven't spoken to her since her damn graduation. So why all of a sudden would she want to be near you?" harped Weasley.

"Ronald..."said Granger, trying to quell the volcano.

"Would you believe your saintly best friend told her not to?" I snapped.

"Do not bring Harry into this shit Malfoy, what's going on?!"

"He has everything to do with this Weasley!" I yelled.

Granger gasped. Weasley was looking like he was on edge.

"Weasley, your sister is and has been in trouble for a long time. She came to my house bruised, beaten, and bleeding one night and I let her stay at my place until she chose to go home." I explained.

Granger gasped again as tears began to fall. Weasley's eyes grew big and raw with anger.

"And what does that have to do with Harry?" growled Weasley.

"He's the one that did it." I said calmly.

Weasley shot up and pulled me out of my seat by my shirt. The conversations in the pub stopped, all eyes were on us.

"Ron stop!"

"BULLSHIT MALFOY!"

"IT'S TRUE!"

"DON'T FUCKING LIE TO ME WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY SISTER?!"

"YOU THINK THAT I WOULD LIE ABOUT THIS?! THAT YOUR SISTER WOULD LIE TO ME?!"

Granger grabbed onto Weasley's arm as he lowered me down to the floor. Bastard was strong.

"She told me what he did, Weasley. And then the next day she told Zabini. Harry's been fucking her up for years." I told him bluntly. He wouldn't want to hear any sugarcoated bullshit.

Granger started to cry even more and Weasley himself started tearing up. Only his tears weren't from sadness. They were from rage.

"Where is she now?" he asked.

"I was hoping you two could tell me."

"She may be at Grimmauld Place. We should go see" said Weasley in a calm yet full of rage voice.

"That's what's I was aiming for."

"Well I'm coming with you two. I want to make sure she is okay." said Granger.

* * *

We left the pub and apparated to Harry's godfather's home. Granger had a key and she opened the door and we went in.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The house had an eerie calm about it that was very unsettling.

"Humano Revelio" whispered Granger and a ball of light came from upstairs.

"Someone is here." said Granger keeping her wand out. "Upstairs"

Weasley and I took out our wands and had them ready for whatever was bound to happen. We slowly walked up the stairs. At the top of the stairs was a house elf.

"Kreacher!" yelled Weasley. "Where is my sister?"

"Mistress Weasley is in her room, Master Weasley. But you is being careful. Bad things is happening to Mistress Weasley. Things Kreacher isn't allowed to speak on."

And with that Weasley ran. He ran up the other flight of stairs and disappeared.

Granger and I looked at each other not knowing what to do. We looked down at Kreacher as he hung his head as if he was about to cry.

"HERMIONE!" Weasley's blood curdling scream came from upstairs.

We both raced up the flight of stairs and I followed Granger to Ginny's room.

I looked in horror at my best friend laid out on the bed. There was blood everywhere. Her face was almost unrecognizable. If it wasn't for her red hair I would have never known it to be her.

Weasley was crying and shaking, not knowing if he should move her or not. She looked like a rag doll that had been thrown this way and that.

"Ginny...Ginny wake up... Ginevra, PLEASE WAKE UP!" yelled Weasley about to have a breakdown.

Granger ran and flooed St. Mungo's and within seconds healers had came through and gently levitated Ginny onto a stretcher and flooed her to the hospital. We followed after them. Some of the healers were asking questions that none of us could answer. All we could tell them was the truth. That we had came to check on her and found her like that.

I flooed Zabini and he came over to the hospital instantly. He and I paced the floor, while Granger was trying to console a hysterical Weasley as well as herself. Poor bloke. All he could do was repeat "My sister, my sister" over and over again.

After a couple hours, a healer came and told us she would be okay. She had suffered 5 broken ribs, one of which had punctured a lung, she had a broken wrist, jaw, fractured leg, and evidence of having been hit by the cruciatus curse was present. Weasley couldn't take it and he and Granger walked off to get some air.

"When can we go and see her?" I asked the healer.

"Not until tomorrow. She needs her rest. Are you her husband?"

"No, I'm her best friend. The others are her other friends and brother."

"Yes sir. Well who do I release her to when she is ready to go home?"

"You can to me, Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger, or her brother Ronald Weasley." I said as she wrote all of this down.

"Yes sir. I'll be back with another report on her progress soon." said the healer.

I paced the hallway. So many thoughts were running through my mind. Ginny's well being was first and foremost, but Potter had to pay for what he did. And I put it on my life that he would.


	6. Chapter 5: Trapped Truth

I can't go on living this way

But I can't go back the way I came

Chained to this fear that I will never find

A way to heal my soul

And I will wander 'til the end of time

Half alive without you

-Evanescence My Heart Is Broken

* * *

Chapter 5: Trapped Truth

I woke up to a white ceiling. As a matter of fact, everything around me was white. I didn't like it. I also didn't like the smell. The smell of heavy potions and sterilization, with a hint of linen.

Has to be St. Mungo's. Wait a second, how did I get here? The last thing I remember was...

Green eyes filled with hate. A fist. Unbearable pain. And then nothing. That made no sense.

There were screams...my screams. The smell of alcohol. Glass...wait the back of my head...okay that was a right size bump.

I opened my mouth to call out to someone but I found myself unable to speak. My vocal cords were searing in pain. My jaws hurt like hell.

I looked over to the table on my right. There was a cup of water that i immediately drank. It felt good going down my throat. A button labeled 'call' was also there. I pushed it. I was pretty used to that button.

A few seconds later a healer came in. Desole. She knew me well. Too well, but I learned a long time ago that I could trust her and soon I would find myself only going to her when I would come to the hospital.

"Thank goodness you're finally awake!" said Desole cheerfully. "How do you feel darling?" She was always very sweet. She reminded me of Mum despite the fact that I believed she graduated Hogwarts when I was in my second year.

I motioned that I couldn't speak. "Ohhh dear, can't talk I'm afraid." she said. "Yes, yes as expected. The cruciatus curse will do a number on your vocal cords, yes it will."

The cruciatus curse?! Did it really get that horrible that he used that on me?

"I'll give you some parchment and a shadow quill love, how bout that? You will be able to think what you want to say and the quill will write it down, what do you think?" asked Desole.

I nodded my head and she left the room. She returned 5 minutes later with a notebook and a shadow quill.

I opened the book and tried to think about what I wanted to say. I had so many questions. What happened? How did I get here? How long have I been here? But at that point there was only one thing on my mind.

"Where's my brother?" the quill wrote.

"Oh love which one? You have two here claiming to be your brothers. Although I can only say I believed the redheaded one"

Oh no! That must mean everybody knew I was here. Didn't want that at all!

"Ron. I only want Ron." The quill wrote.

"Ahh the red headed worrier. Yes love, he's been waiting to see you. I'll fetch him."

I laid back and braced myself for the scolding I knew was coming. Ron is my favorite brother, but he has always been the most overprotective and would always lecture me. I wanted to hurry and get that over with.

Ron came in and stared at me with tears forming in his eyes. He ran up to me and gave me the type of hug you give a person when you think they are going to fall apart. I wanted none of that. I pulled him in and hugged him as tight as I could without hurting myself.

He let go of me and sat down on the chair beside my bed. "Ginny are you okay?"

"I can only talk with the quill Ron. I'm in some pain, but I'm fine. Are you okay?" the quill wrote.

Ron didn't like that at all. I could see the anger in his eyes as he watched the quill write out my words. He tried to hide his anger quickly with a small smile, but I saw right through it.

"I'm okay, now that you're awake. You had me bloody nervous over here." said Ron with a shaky voice.

"How long have I been sleep?" the quill wrote.

"About 2 weeks..." said Ron hesitantly

"2 FUCKING WEEKS?!" wrote the quill.

"Yes Gin. They tried everything to wake you up, but you simply wouldn't. They felt that maybe your mind would repair itself better just letting you sleep until you were ready."

"I guess." wrote the quill as I grimaced.

Ron ran his fingers through his hair. He looked stressed out and tired. "Why Ginny?" he asked. "Why didn't you tell me? Or Hermione? Somebody. You know we wouldn't have let it get like this. I would have killed him."

"And that's exactly why I didn't. Plus it was my burden to bare" the quill wrote.

"Bullshit! No one should go through that. You don't do that to the person you love, no matter how mad you get, or how fucked up things are. And then I heard he broke your wand too?"

I sighed. "Draco told you then, yeah?" the quill wrote.

"Malfoy was the one that saved you, Ginny. You should have stayed with him the first time you were at his house. But I'm not here to scold you. You've been through enough shit." said Ron giving me a weak smile.

I smile back at him and mouthed the words "thank you".

He rubbed my head gently, kissing my forehead as he always for when he wanted to make sure I was feeling better.

"Is there anybody else here?" the quill wrote.

"Oh yeah. Let me go get them. Be right back." said Ron and he rushed out the room.

I've been out for 2 damn weeks. Great. He finally royally fucked me up.

* * *

Ron came back in, followed by Hermione, Blaise, and Draco. It made my heart smile to see them.

Hermione started to cry, as expected. She had always been the emotional one. Blaise looked like a mix of wanting to smile but also wanting to punch something. Draco's face was unreadable, which meant that he was plenty upset, but didn't want to show it.

"Oh Ginny, I'm so happy you're awake! You had me so worried!" said Hermione, hugging me.

Blaise came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I couldn't bring her, but I told Jada that you were sick, so she made you a get well card." he said handing me a drawing of a unicorn, lots of colors and hearts and an attempt to write her name.

"Oh it's lovely, tell her I said thank you!" wrote the quill.

That threw the three of them off. They looked at the notebook and then at me. "Shit, sorry guys I forgot to tell you, she can't really talk right now. Cruciatus curse." said Ron in a low voice.

Hermione sat on Ron's lap and hugged him. Blaise nodded, his anger no longer hidden.

Draco just stood at the foot of my bed looking at me. It was breaking my heart having him be like this. Draco was never very good with controlling his emotions due to him being forced to do so as a kid. He had them under control until his 6th year when the weight of the world fell upon him, and he lost it. He had been voicing them ever since.

I scooted over and patted the empty space beside me for him to sit with me. He didn't move. I couldn't handle that right now.

"Draco please..." wrote the quill.

He sighed, came over, and sat beside me. I laid my head on his shoulder and reached for his hand. He forced a weak smile, and intertwined his fingers with mine.

We all sat in silence for a few minutes. Hermione crying into Ron's shoulder, the boys staring off into space.

Finally Blaise spoke up."Do you remember anything that happened Gin? Anything at all?"

"How did I get here?" wrote the quill.

"Hermione, Malfoy, and I came when Malfoy told us what's been going on with you. He was worried about you. And rightfully so don't you think?" said Ron.

"We went to your house and found you...you...you were hurt. You weren't responding..."said Hermione trying not to start crying again.

I looked at Draco. He just continued to look down and not say anything.

"The healers say that if you have trouble remembering that you could take Veritaserum and it will help bring out the truth and what occurred. I didn't think you would want that but...well..." said Blaise.

"Maybe that will help. I need to remember." wrote the quill.

Blaise nodded and went to find a healer.

"I feel like some of this was my fault Ginny." said Hermione. "I should have paid more attention to you."

"If that's the case then it's all our faults." said Ron.

"No, it's my fault for not saying anything. It's my fault for hiding it all and thinking about protecting him." I said, truly feeling guilty.

"Don't you dare blame yourself. It's all on him for doing this to you in the bloody first place! My own best mate. A fucking woman abuser. Never would I have seen...And with my own sister..." said Ron putting his face in Hermione's back as he held her close to him, obviously crying.

Hermione rubbed his hands and tried to quiet him down. I put my focus back on Draco, who was now tracing patterns on my hand with his thumb.

"Are you going to talk to me?" the quill wrote.

He looked at the words and then at me. His eyes looked like the color of a storm cloud ready to burst. "Later" he whispered.

I sighed and nodded. A few minutes later Blaise was back carrying a small vial in his hand.

"Okay love this will last about an hour. I'm told to give it to you and to ask direct questions. You ready?"

I nodded and take the vial from him. I drank the nasty potion and suddenly feel a calmness over me. Like I could say anything and not care.

"Okay, what's your whole name?" asked Blaise.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley." the quill wrote.

"How old are you?"

"I'm 23 years old." the quill wrote.

"Out of me and Drayke, who is your favorite?"

"Draco" the quill wrote. Blaise smiled. "Yeah it's working"

I felt myself blushing. Draco cracked a smile.

"Okay so what happened the day of this latest fight?" asked Blaise.

I closed my eyes. With that question it seemed my mind was trying to fight opening up. The quill scribbled wildly onto the notebook. It went from words to jibberish to lines. My mind felt like it was trying to split in two, my head started pounding.

"STOP GINNY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER!" yelled Blaise out of nowhere.

My eyes popped open and I looked around to see terrified looks on Hermione and Ron's faces. Blaise was trying to fan me, and Draco had his arms tightly around me.

"What happened?!" wrote the quill.

"You seemed to be at war with yourself love" explained Blaise. "You kept telling us no, then screaming stop it and begging and then you just yelled. A healer went to get you some calming draught."

I buried my face in Draco's chest and started crying. I felt completely broken. I didn't know what to do with myself. Hermione was crying against Ron and Draco continued to hold me while Blaise rubbed my back.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Princess." whispered Draco in my ear. "I can promise you that."


	7. Chapter 6: Angel Of Mine

Please don't stand so close to me

I'm having trouble breathing

I'm afraid of what you'll see right now

I give you everything I am

All my broken heart beats

Until I know you'll understand

-Distance by Christina Perri

* * *

Chapter 6: Angel Of Mine

Later that evening, Weasley and Granger had to go home. Ginny begged for Weasley not to tell their mum or any other family member about what happened. They fought about it for a few minutes until finally Weasley promised not to because

Ginny promised to tell them soon herself. Zabini had to go and relieve his mother of Jada. And I promised Ginny I'd stay the night with her.

I hadn't said much to her the whole day. I really couldn't bring myself to. It wasn't that I was angry with her. That was farthest from the truth. It was just that I had so much to say and no way to say it.

When she couldn't physically talk it made me sick. Did that vicious bitch rob her of her voice too?! The fact that she looked at me and had to beg me to sit by her made me feel bad as well. I hadn't done that on purpose. I was shocked. I didn't want to hurt her. I felt like the slightest touch I would give would shatter her.

When she freaked out with Zabini's questions, I almost lost it myself. She was all over the place yelling and screaming and hurting. I had to hold her down so she wouldn't fall off of the bed. Now the question was did the cruciatus curse fuck up her mind.

When everyone left, we sat in her bed in silence. I watched as she made the shadow quill draw whatever came to her mind. We were basically playing that muggle game where someone draws a picture and you try to guess what it is.

I had drifted off beside her for awhile and I woke up to her drawing a picture of me asleep. She was always a great artist and I loved seeing her draw what was on her mind.

"That's very good." I said.

"Oh I'm not done yet. I still have to add the drool." she wrote.

I chuckled. Even when she was hurting, she still had jokes.

"I don't drool in my sleep thank you very much. It's undignified." I said with a fake smug.

"Admit it Draco. On the outside you're money, but on the inside you're just as poor as I am" she wrote.

"Of course darling you keep thinking that."

"I'm sorry" she wrote.

"Sorry? For what Princess?"

"For...not listening to you. For going back. For dragging you into my mess." she wrote. She started to tear up.

"Don't you dare be sorry. None of this was your fault. No real man would dare lay his hands on a woman. Don't you sit there and blame yourself." I said taking her in for a hug.

She nodded and snuggled into my chest.

You can come stay with me Ginny. When you leave." I said.

Ginny looked up at me. "I can't do that. I have nothing to contribute and I don't have a job yet. I can't pay for shit." she wrote.

"Oh shut the hell up you already know I wouldn't charge a thing for you and you don't have to do shit in the house. I don't do shit in there. I'm insisting you live with me." I said with mock authority.

She smiled at me. "Are you sure? Once I get a job and get money saved up I'll find my own place." she wrote.

"Ginny. you don't have to hurry and do that. You don't even have to hurry and work. You need to relax some. How bout relax yourself for a few months and then try out for the Harpies again?" I suggested.

"Oh Draco, I haven't played Quidditch in so long. I probably suck at it now." she wrote sadly.

"Nonsense. It's in your blood. I'll help you. Zabini too. You know he would want any excuse to play again. I'm sure your brother wouldn't mind helping out sometimes too." I said pushing strands of hair out of her face.

She smiled at me again. I'm glad to be able to see her give genuine smiles again.

"Let us take care of you, Gin. Let me take care of you. I know you don't need a man to do that for you, but you do deserve someone who is willing to." I whispered in her ear.

She looked at me and nodded. She gave me a loving kiss on the cheek. My heart melted. At that moment I felt like I wanted to give her everything her heart desired.

"I wish I could see Jada. But I wouldn't want her to see me like this. Maybe after I get better Blaise will let me?" she wrote.

"Of course. Jada is dying to see you. She keeps insisting that her grandma gives you kisses seeing as that makes her feel better when she is sick." I grinned.

Ginny tried to laugh but she just couldn't manage it. "She's such a wonderful girl. I've always wanted kids. I figured I would have at least two by now." she wrote.

"I'm actually thankful you don't have kids. Sorry to say that, but it's true." I said.

She nodded in agreement. "Hermione has had a lot of trouble getting pregnant because of the cruciatus curse. She said that it messed up her insides. The healers have told her that pregnancy for her would be a miracle. That was always her and Ron's major argument. What if that happened to me? What if I can't have kids now? I really don't know what I would do." she wrote with tears in her eyes.

I put my arm around her again and held her close. "Don't worry about that now. Worry about that when the time comes for you to have kids. And I'm sure that Granger will find some kind of way to have a kid. Isn't she apparently the brightest witch of her age?" I said with a smile.

Ginny nodded and smiled. She wrapped her arms around my waist. "I love you so much Draco. You know you're my best friend. I appreciate everything you're doing for me." she wrote in a heart.

I smiled and hugged her even closer. "Of course. I love you too."

And I did. A lot more than she knew.


	8. Chapter 7: Narcissa's Story

Come inside, pick up your bags off the sidewalk

Don't you hear sincerity in my voice when I talk

Told you this is my fault

Look me in the eyeball

Next time I'm pissed, I'll aim my fist at the drywall

Next time? There won't be no next time!

I apologize even though I know it's lies

-Eminem Love The Way You Lie

* * *

Chapter 7: Narcissa's Story

They let me go after spending another week in St. Mungo's. It felt great to be out in the fresh air, away from the hospital smell and potions being handed to me left and right.

Draco's place had been taken over by an outbreak of Doxys so until he could get rid of them all, we both went to his mother's house.

Draco had told me about how his mother had sold Malfoy Manor a year after the Kiss was administered to his father. She had what Draco called a "modest mansion" now. About half the size of the old manor but it was still luxurious, spacious, and grand.

When Cissy first saw me, she cried and held me as if I were hers. I adored Draco's mother ever since I had met her in my 4th year. She had always been so kind to me. She reminded me of my mother, only with more more money and a lot more dainty.

Cissy was indeed a gorgeous woman. She had an air of arrogance but she was far from it. She was actually an extremely humble woman once you got to know her. And she was like a second mum to me.

The first time I visited Draco's home was in my 4th year. It was the weekend of Easter break. Ron, Harry, and Hermione begged me not to go, but Mum and Cissy had already discussed things and had convinced my parents to allow me. Mr. Malfoy was out of town so there were no disturbances. Draco, Blaise, and I acted like complete children that weekend, playing hide and seek around the manor for hours. Cissy doted on us and tried to marry me and her son right then. She loved me. Said she loved my fire and independence.

Both were diminished now.

"Ginevra Weasley! You have neglected me too long! Where have you been dear one?" she said holding me tight.

"I'm so sorry Cissy. I really am." I said. I didn't know what to say really. I didn't know if Draco had told her anything about what was going on or not. I imagine he had to have told her something. What reason could he give for me staying with him at her place for a week?

"Oh all is forgiven love. It's just good to see...dear me Ginny. What happened to your face?" asked Cissy catching sight of my cheek which was still a bit swollen.

I looked at her. I felt the tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I didn't think it would be this hard to tell her. I could only imagine what it would be like when I told Mum.

"How bout we go in the sitting room and talk about it Mother." said Draco taking my hand and his mum's and walking us into the sitting room.

"Okay, we are in here now tell me what's going on? Is this a Quidditch accident Ginny?"

"I...well...oh i don't know where to start with you. I can't..." I said sitting on an armchair.

"Ginevra you might as well tell her." said Draco with a serious look on his face.

Cissy looked back and forth at me and Draco. Confusion was written all over her face.

"Please don't be mad at me." I said getting up and pacing the floor.

"I couldn't see you or Draco or Blaise because Harry didn't want me to. Whenever I would try to communicate with Draco, Harry would get angry and try to stop me. When Harry and I would argue about something, we would end up fighting... and he has beat me."

Cissy gasped and took my hands into hers. "Heavens dear for how long?"

"From every other month to every over day since graduation." I said in a low voice.

Cissy gasped again and ran her hand against my jaw. "Why sweetheart? Why didn't you say anything? Even a whisper? Even if it wasn't to Draco and only to me, I would have done everything in my power to help you."

"I didn't want anybody to be ashamed of me that I didn't leave him. I didn't want anybody to know how weak I had became" I said crying.

"No no darling, you're not weak at all. You're so strong. You survived and made it through and despite it taking so long you reached out. I just really wish that you would have said something to me. I would have had him locked up so quickly it would have been laughable."

She turned to Draco. "Why didn't you say anything son?"

"I only found out about a month ago Mother. And then she sworn me to secrecy. Only me and Zabini knew. But this last time me and her brother and his fiance had to go and rescue her."

Cissy nodded then turned back to me. "Well the important thing is that now you are safe and sound. Potter wouldn't dare try to find you here. You can stay for as long as you need to."

I hugged her tight. I had been scared to tell her for nothing. I wondered if it would be like that when I told my parents.

They let me take a guest room so I can get some sleep that didn't consist of laying in a hospital bed. My bed was huge and soft. I could stretch out and roll around all I wanted without the fear of falling.

* * *

I woke up hours later. I watched the sun setting over the horizon. Had I really slept that long? I've probably missed dinner and everything.

I took a quick shower and put on a pair of Draco's sweatpants and a shirt of his and went downstairs. I got lost twice before I finally called upon a house elf to help me find someone.

The little elf led me to a room that was filled with books and flowers. Cissy was sitting in a chair sipping tea.

"Evening Ginevra! I trust you slept well?"

"A bit too well I'm afraid. Sorry I slept for so long.

"Oh no not at all. I expected as much. Come sit with me and have some tea." she said transfiguring a tea cup out of a biscuit.

I sat down beside her and sipped on the delicious tea. Cissy always had the best teas and we used to force Draco and Blaise to have 'tea parties' with us when I was younger.

"I'm thankful that you are here Ginny. It pains me that you are here as the result out such horrifying circumstances but I'm still happy that you are here." she said smiling.

"I'm happy to be here. I really missed spending time with you. "

"I'm going to tell you something that I don't think Draco knows. And I would appreciate it if you didn't tell him" said Cissy.

I sat up straight in my chair. What could be so big that Draco didn't even know? He and his mother shared everything.

"As you know, me and Lucius married a year after I graduated from Hogwarts. I had Draco when I was 19, he was 23. When I was 20 Lucius put his hands on me for the first time. I hadn't known he was involved with Voldemort until after the downfall with Harry Potter. The night that Voldemort vanished, Lucius had come home very irate. I was nursing Draco at the time. He insisted that I put him in the nursery so we could 'talk'. Something about the way he said it should have warned me then."

"He argued with me about his dealings and I had threatened to leave. He seen no objection to it until I told him I was taking Draco with me. He started hitting me and threatened that he would take Draco away and I would never see him again. I knew he could do it. He had money to hire the best lawyers."

"So I stayed with him for the sake of my son. Whenever things went wrong amongst the Death Eaters, I would endure the blows. I used to have the house elves take Draco to the other side of the manner just so he wouldn't hear. When he left for Hogwarts it got worse. We fought almost daily it seemed."

"Cissy, I am so sorry that this happened to you. I couldn't imagine." I said.

"Yes you can darling. Minus a child and marriage, you went through the same thing. I figure the only reason you stuck by him was hope of change and feeling sorry for what he went through correct?"

I nodded.

"Very Gryffindor of you if I do say so myself. You wanted to bring back the good in him. But sweetheart, the man that you have now isn't good anymore. And as much as you may want to reform him, you simply can't. And I don't want you to learn that lesson the hard way darling. And I'm pretty sure no one else does either. "

"I'm telling you my story to let you know that you truly have an ally that knows what you are going through. Your mother more than likely cannot relate. Arthur Weasley is a fantastic man and from what I have seen and heard has always treated your mother and you children with the utmost love and respect. So all she can do is sympathize. That's not to discredit her, but you also need a person that when it seems no one understands, you can come to me." she said smiling.

"Do you still love him? That's what is the hardest for me. I have so much love for Harry. But I don't know what to do with it." I said fighting back tears.

Cissy gave me a solemn smile. "I do love him for giving me Draco, but the true love died the day he put me in the hospital for two months when Draco was in 5th year. You should remember how Draco couldn't come home for Christmas holiday because me and Lucius were apparently taking another honeymoon? I came out the hospital two weeks after that lie. It took me that long to figure it out."

"Will you ever tell Draco? He does deserve to know." I said putting a hand on top of hers.

"One day. Not now. Maybe when he is married as a lesson." she said sighing.

I got up and gave her a hug. The tears started to fall effortlessly out of my eyes.

"Thank you. And thanks for wanting to be there for me. I appreciate it so much." I said.

"You know you're the daughter I never had right? Don't ever feel like you can't come and tell me something. I'm certain your mother would be the same way." said Cissy.

I smiled at that. "Who knows, maybe in a way you will be my daughter someday." She said laughing.

Cissy had been planning me and Draco's wedding since she met me. We had considered it a game until we realized the older we got the more adamant she was.

"Are you still holding onto that dream?" I joked.

"Hey, my Draco needs a good woman in his life. And I need gorgeous grandchildren." smiled Cissy.


	9. Chapter 8: Unicorns And Butterflies

She's the sunflower of nature's seeds

A girl that some men only find in their dreams

When she smiles it seems the stars all know

Cause one by one they start to light up the sky

She's a girl that can't be beat

Born and raised on ghetto streets

She's a devastating beauty

A pretty girl with ebony eyes

-Stevie Wonder Ebony Eyes

* * *

Chapter 8: Unicorns and Butterflies

After a week of staying at my mother's house, Ginny decided she wanted to see Jada again. I had hit up Zabini and he had agreed for us to take her out Saturday because he had a date.

Saturday had came and we took the car to get Jada. Jada is afraid of the green fire, so she hated to floo, and while that made places time consuming to get to, it was okay because it gave Ginny and Jada time to talk on the way to this and that.

"What is your favorite aminal?" asked Jada to Ginny as the two colored pictures in the back of the car.

"I can't decide between a hippogriff and a tiger. They are both very nice animals don't you think?" said Ginny.

"Oh yes. But a tiger is a muggle am...animal isn't it?"

"Good job Jada, you got it right. And yes, a tiger is a muggle animal. It's the largest muggle cat in the world." explained Ginny to a fascinated Jada.

'Is it bigger than a hippogriff? Bigger than a unicorn?"

"Maybe. I've never seen one up close before. I do hear that they are very, very big. Its head is as big as you, dear one."

"Well that's not too big." said Jada, scrunching her face. "I'm just a tiny thing. That's what Nonna says."

"You're a tiny human. But if you're as big as a tiger's head, then a tiger's head must be pretty big." said Ginny playing with one of Jada's curly ponytails.

Jada smiled at her and went back to coloring in her book. I just sat back and watched the two of them interact. Even though Jada wasn't my blood daughter, I took the role of godfather very seriously. So serious that Zabini's mum would make the joke of us sharing custody of the child. Which in a way was true because ever since Jada learned to walk, she had been with me at least every other weekend.

Watching Ginny talk to her was in my mind, seeing the future that I had created in my own twisted world. I could see myself and Ginny having a pretty redhead or blonde daughter that asked a million questions and Ginny would have an answer for all of them.

We took Jada to a muggle fair where she was amazed at the rides and different sweet treats and prizes. She walked in between us, holding each of our hands, as we walked around the fair. She got excited over a balloon, but was quickly disappointed when she figured out the balloon couldn't lift her into the air.

When we went out to eat, we attracted a lot of attention. Actually whenever I went anywhere in the wizarding world I always attracted a lot of attention. Most of it was very unwanted. It had been 7 years since the bloody wars and yet I would still be asked by the occasional nosy reporter if I was still a Death Eater. That's why most of the time I would stay in the muggle world, where no one knew a thing about me.

* * *

We ended up going back to the same muggle park that I had seen Ginny at. She charmed her hair to where it was as blonde as mine, just in case Potter was lurking around.

"Next time choose a different hair color. You almost look like a sister and that's a bit unnerving." I joked.

Ginny laughed as we watched Jada play with the muggle children. Jada loved muggle kids because she found it amusing when she would tell her real life stories and the muggle kids thought she was making up fairy tales.

"What's wrong with me looking like a sister?" asked Ginny.

"You have never felt like a sister to me, Gin. You know that." I blushed.

Ginny blushed as well, the blonde hair making her red cheeks stand out even more. "I know." she said smiling.

"Do you think if I asked Blaise he would let me be Jada's godmum?" asked Ginny.

I smiled widely at her. "Of course! You know he would love that! She needs a girl figure in her life besides her grandmum."

"It's just, I find myself completely in love with the girl. She reminds me so much of my nieces and I've always loved the fact that Fleur, Angelina, and Audrey had the opportunity to have such wonderful daughters. And I've always wanted a child."

"How many nieces do you have?" I asked her.

"Well Fleur and Bill have Victoire and Dominique, Angelina and George have Roxanne, and Audrey and Percy have Molly. So four. It's funny. It went from me being the only Weasley girl for centuries, to now there is a girl Weasley born every year or so." laughed Ginny.

"Anyways as I was saying, I would love to have Jada as a goddaughter. Just in case. just in case I can't have children of my own." said Ginny smile evaporating off of her face.

Those words brought be back to the reality of the situation and crushed my insides. The cruciatus curse was nasty business, especially for a woman. With the curse, there was a chance that Ginny would not be able to have a baby. Yet another thing that bastard Potter had potentially robbed from her.

"Hey." I said taking her chin in my hand. "It's not like they said that not having kids was set in stone. You never know what can happen. Don't focus on the negative. Please don't."

Ginny gave me what I thought was a pity smile. I know she wanted to believe me, but she couldn't right now. She probably wouldn't believe anything about that until it actually happened.

I put my arm around her and drew her close to me. She put her head on my shoulder and I put my head on top of hers, my fingers played with her blonde strands that I refused to get even somewhat used to. I couldn't wait until she would change her hair back to its regular deep shade of red. We watched Jada interact with the muggle kids as they swung and slid and climbed on the thing that they called a jungle gym.

I felt a sense of normalcy at this scene. If you were to pass by us and not know who we were you would think us as married parents watching over our children. Maybe one day it would happen for us. Then again maybe it wouldn't.

Whatever happened, I felt the need to wish that she would allow me to remain by her side through whatever she wanted to do in her life. Be it just friends or something more.

It was time to take Jada home so we got into the car and drove off. Jada was delighted to tell Ginny about the muggle thing she learned called jumping rope and she was going to ask her father to get her one. Ginny told her that she reminded her of her dad who was fascinated by muggles and the things they used and did.

We dropped Jada off at Blaise's place where she cried, not wanting to leave Ginny. I could see that Ginny was happy that she was loved so much by the child.

We went home where we played a few rounds of chess and talked about nothing in particular.I tried my best not to get used to this feeling of how things should be because I knew it could very well change. No matter how much I wouldn't want it to.


	10. Chapter 9: The Scare

Ooooh Babe

Don't leave me now

Don't say it's the end of the road

Remember the flowers I sent

I need you Babe

To put through the shredder

In front of my friends

Ooooh Babe

Don't leave me now

How could you go?

When you know how I need You

To beat to a pulp on a Saturday night

-Pink Floyd Don't Leave Me Now

* * *

Chapter 9: The Scare

It had been about 3 months since I had seen Harry. He had went into hiding after he did whatever he had done to me. I still couldn't recall it. Every time I would try. It would seem like my mind wouldn't allow me to. And without my testimony, the auror department couldn't start a full investigation. They could only keep an eye out for him, much to Ron's disappointment.

I still had yet to tell Mum and Dad but George and Angelina knew. I had made the mistake of slipping up about it when I had went to visit them. Both Angelina and George was ready to hunt him down after I told them what had been going on, but I didn't want anything to happen to them. They were parents after all. Roxanne didn't need to be away from her parents because of the decisions I had made for myself.

Ron, Draco, and Blaise had started to get along better and surprisingly Ron asked Draco to take Harry's place as best man in his wedding, as he had saved me. Draco surprised me even more by accepting with no hesitation. I was happy that finally all the men that I loved the most were coming together and getting along. Blaise had also granted my wish and made me Jada's godmother which I took even more seriously than Draco sometimes despite the fact that it was usually the both of us that took her out at the same time.

With Ron and Hermione's wedding just a couple weeks away , I found myself getting back to my happiness. I got to see my friends whenever I wanted, I no longer feared being out for too long or going to the wrong place or being around the wrong people. Having all this freedom made me realize just how trapped Harry had me. I found myself getting angry sometimes at the way I allowed that is pman to dictate my life.

I got back in touch with the coach for the Harpies and she assured me that as soon as I was medically cleared (I still had some complications especially with the cruciatus curse) I would be able to come back and play. That is what made me the happiest.

I was starting to get my life back on track. I felt my fire being relit and I strived to gain it back fully. Everything seemed to be falling back into place and I couldn't be more content.

The only thing that was a challenge to me was my feelings for Draco. We had gotten even closer than we were in school due to the fact that I still lived in his house. Ever since we all became friends in my second year, I had always known that my friendship with Draco was on a totally different wavelength than my friendship with Blaise. With Blaise, I had felt that sense of siblings between us despite the fact that he would shamelessly flirt constantly with me. Of course, that was his nature in general.

But with Draco, it always felt different. I always felt a deeper connection with him. There were things that he knew that I couldn't tell Blaise or anybody else. He was the only one that really knew everything about my ordeal with Tom Riddle and how messed up it was. We had gotten so close that people thought we were secretly dating. I remember when I was in my 5th year and Luna had pointed out to me that Draco would look at me the way Ron would look at Hermione. And everybody knew that Ron and Hermione had been in love since they met, despite the fact that they didn't realize it yet. I never saw it, but that was due to the fact that Draco always hid his emotions well. That and the fact that he and Blaise were in their slag stage since their 5th year.

With the way we were now, it felt like school all over again times 100. I found myself rehashing feelings that I had buried in school because of Harry. I had had a crush on Harry since I was 10. Ron would write to me about him and I was deeply interested. So about my 4th year when I actually saw myself liking Draco, I tried to push those feelings aside for the hopes of Harry.

Worst mistake of my life.

I found myself thinking about what it would be like to actually be with Draco. He hadn't changed a bit to me except he was more affectionate and even more open. I felt the chemistry coming back and sometimes I would find myself just staring at him. I had memorized every facial expression, every emotion he would show with just his eyes, and it made my heart skip a beat when he would catch me looking at him.

I didn't want to admit anything to him, or even myself, but I found myself falling in love with him. I felt more love for him than I ever did for Harry all those years. But I was scared to even hint to Draco about my feelings. What if he no longer felt that way? What if he rejected me? I knew I wouldn't have been able to deal with that.

I had woken up with that heavily on my mind that morning. I felt like maybe I needed a walk so I left Draco a note telling him I was heading to Hogsmeade to grab some sweets and to visit George. He had opened up another Weasley's Wizard Wheezes there and he had started working there more while Lee Jordan and Verity worked the one in Diagon Alley.

I apparated to Hogsmeade and seen nothing but Hogwarts students running around. Must have been a Hogsmeade day. It brought back memories of the three of us getting butterbeers and candies and buying pranks at Zonko's.

I went and had a short visit with George, whose store was swamped with students, the twins skiving boxes still the most popular buy. I picked up two and some Peruvian darkness powder for Draco and Blaise for memories purposes (knowing full well they would probably use them for work) and left before I got trampled by a bunch of 3rd years coming through the doors for the first time.

I went and had a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks and ran into Neville Longbottom and reminisced for awhile. I was happy to hear he was now the new Herbology professor. He was someone else I had lost touch with after leaving Hogwarts. We talked about the D.A. (which I was happy to hear still went on) and our days of terrorizing the Carrows. He asked me how Harry was and I just told him that we didn't work out and I hadn't spoken to him lately.

* * *

I left Three Broomsticks and was making my way to the bookstore when an ominous feeling came over me. I started to feel like I was being watched. I took a quick look around and didn't see anything unusual so I kept walking.

I passed by a couple stores and started to catch the feeling again. My hand slowly made its way to my wand, but before I could grab a hold of it, I felt myself being snatched by an invisible force. I found myself flying backwards and into an alley where I was slammed against a wall. I felt hot breath on my face and I smelled the familiar scent of a certain soap I had smelled for the last 5 years.

Harry.

I reached out and grabbed what seemed like air and snatched off his invisibility cloak. His emerald eyes burned a hole into my very soul and I felt frozen in place. His hand held my neck, he looked almost crazed.

"You've been hiding from me Ginny. Why did you leave? I left for work and came back to discover you were gone." he said in a calm voice that was almost evil.

"I...you...I went to the hospital. You...you did that" I said scared out of my mind.

"You've been there for 3 bloody months?"

"No..."

"Of course not. I've heard things Gin. You're back around Malfoy and Zabini now? What the hell, I told you to stay away from them." he said hand closing around my neck some.

"Harry don't..." I gasped, desperate for air.

"Oh so I guess you're shagging Malfoy now? Don't look at me like that. I've always known how you felt about that prat!"

"I'm not shagging anybody Harry now let me go" I said, feeling consciousness slowly escaping me

"You need to come back home to me Ginny. We need to talk about this." said Harry, loosening his grip.

"No! I can't do this with you anymore Harry! You've hurt me enough now let me go!" I yelled at the top of my lungs to try to attach some attention.

Harry seemed to realize what I was doing so he let go of me. He backed away and looked as if he was about to leave.

I should have seen it coming. All of a sudden he backhanded me hard across my face. So hard that I saw spots and my face felt as if it was on fire.

"Come back home Gin. Or I'll have to come looking for you. And you nor Malfoy want that to happen." he said and he put back on his cloak and disappeared.

I knelt down on the ground and screamed. Not only because of the physical pain of my face, but also because I had let my guard down and once again Harry had gotten to me. He had found me. I couldn't escape him. He knew that Draco had something to do with why I didn't come back. I'm only glad that I didn't mention Ron and Hermione.

I disapparated back to Draco's and put up as many locking, shield, and concealment charms as I could around his house. I ran into my room, curled up in my bed, and cried.


	11. Chapter 10: Dinner With The Weasley's

Please come now I think I'm falling

I'm holding on to all I think is safe

It seems I found the road to nowhere

And I'm trying to escape

I yelled back when I heard thunder

But I'm down to one last breath

And with it let me say

Let me say

Hold me now

I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking

maybe six feet

Ain't so far down

-Creed One Last Breath

* * *

Chapter 10: Dinner With The Weasley's

Since Ginny had said she would be out for the morning, I went to go eat breakfast with Zabini, his mother Camilla, and Jada. I used to do this all the time until Ginny came back along, so I felt I needed to show myself. That and I immensely enjoyed Zabini's mother's cooking.

Camilla Zabini was a pureblood witch. Best friends to Mother so of course their sons would be as well. She was stunningly beautiful and youthful looking with brown skin and deep deep dark midnight blue eyes that Zabini himself had inherited. Her hair was long and curly. Reminded me of Granger's hair but not as bushy.

His mother had been in quite the scandal since Zabini's birth. A few months after Zabini was born, his father had been killed by Death Eaters for being a spy for the old Order. Since then, Camilla had married seven more times, each husband richer than the last, each husband dying a mysterious and unexplained death. Shortly after Jada was born, Camilla swore off marriages and put her whole focus on her granddaughter, whom she adored and doted on as much as she did Zabini growing up.

"Now Drayke, you haven't been here in a while now" said Camilla stacking pancakes on my plate. "I'll only take two excuses: Cissy or a girl. Now which one is it?"

Zabini and I exchanged looks, not knowing what to say. In all of what had been going on, we had neglected to inform Camilla of Ginny, whom loved her just as much as Mother did.

"Uncle Drayke has a new princess Nonna." answered Jada before I could say something. "She's so pretty and nice and she draws with me and takes me places and she is just to die for!"

"Oh really now? And what's the princess's name?" humored Camilla as she gave me a grin.

"Well I call her Ginny. Her name is very hard to say. But she is the best. She is my best friend and I love her!" said Jada enthusiastically.

Camilla's smile disappeared as she looked over at me and Zabini.

"Remind me to thank your daughter for selling us out, prat" I whispered to Zabini.

"Ginny? Ginny Weasley? You've been with her? And haven't brought her here?!" exclaimed Camilla very angrily.

"Mama, not right now. Not in front of Jada." pleaded Zabini eyes begging his mum to calm down.

Camilla's eyes burned an invisible hole into her son. She looked as if she was contemplating what hex she wanted to throw at us.

"We will talk later. And I will be seeing her soon isn't that right, Draco Malfoy?" she demanded.

"Yes mamn. I'm sorry." I said looking down.

The rest of breakfast went by quietly, minus Jada's wild stories. When she finished up, Camilla had a house elf take her next door to play with their neighbor's children.

We quickly explained the situation of Ginny to Camilla. She shed tears and her anger towards Potter and begged to see her and I assured her I would let Ginny know.

* * *

Zabini left with me to go back to my house. We had planned on waiting for Ginny to come back and see if she wanted to go visit Camilla. When I got to the house, things felt weird. Zabini sensed it too so he and I whipped out our wands and checked the rooms in the house.

When we got to Ginny's room, her door was locked. I knocked a few times and called her name. She came bolting out, crashing into me, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Princess, what happened?" I said as I lifted her chin. "Why are you- wait what the fuck is that on your neck?!"

Around Ginny's neck was a red handprint. Her cheek was red too.

"Draco, he found me! He found me in Hogsmeade and choked me and slapped me and told me I had to come back! He knows I'm with you!" Ginny sobbed into my chest.

Zabini looked at her, his eyes bulging with anger. "Drayke, you better get this fucker because if you don't do something I will, and I assure you, it won't be pretty."

"Blaise no!" yelled Ginny. "I don't want to lose any of you to Azkaban over him! Please!"

"Ginny I'm not gonna continue to sit here and do nothing while this bitch hunts you! I'm going to your brother. You can't stop me." said Zabini and he left my home with a pop.

Ginny looked at me as if she was begging me not to leave. Everything in me wanted to follow Zabini and join him on his Potter hunt. But I knew Ginny needed me more.

"I'm only staying here because you need me to." I told her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I thought I was fine. He snuck up on me with his invisibility cloak. He knows! He'll find us!"

"No he won't Gin. There are way too many wards on this house for that to happen and I wouldn't let a damn thing happen to you. You know this right? Right?" I said looking Ginny in her gorgeous ambers.

Ginny nodded and soon she seemed to mellow out. I told her how Camilla wanted to see her and she started to perk right up. After her mother and mine, Camilla was another woman she considered herself a daughter to. I told her that she already knew as me and Zabini were pretty much forced to tell her and she understood.

We flooed over to Camilla's where when we got there, she didn't even give herself a chance to brush off the soot before she ran to Camilla and crashed into her arms. Camilla cried and held her close, stroking her hair and telling her how much she missed her, how much she felt horrible about what Potter had done, and how if she could keep her at her house and never let her out, she would.

Soon Jada came back over and was thrilled to see her best friend. She whisked her away to her bedroom to show her all of her wizarding toys as well as some muggle dolls and toys that her muggle grandparents had gotten her. Despite her mother not wanting anything to do with her, her muggle grandparents adored her and she spent time with them every other weekend she wasn't with Ginny and I. The mother had moved to the states.

"Where has Blaise gone off to?" asked Camilla.

"Oh. Well Ginny had a run in with Potter this morning and he decided to just go off and find him." I said shaking my head.

Camilla laughed. "My impulsive son. I always knew he should have been a Gryffindor like me. You know? It's a shame that boy Harry has turned out the way he did. Why didn't he see any headhealers after the war?"

"Pardon?"

"You know. The healers that you talk to about your mind. When Blaise's biological father fought in the first war, they had all kinds of healers there to talk to them and help them deal with PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It isn't just a muggle thing, wizards and witches are affected too, child. It's when a person has gone through an ordeal so traumatizing that it alters their state of mind. They may have something that triggers them to act outside their mm normal character. They may sometimes feel like they are reliving their trauma every single day. It affects people in different ways. But it's terrible."

"Now I do remember how you and my son used to talk about how much of a 'goody goody' this boy was and if the way he treats Ginevra started after the wars then that might be what it is. It changes you. And the fact that he's an auror? Oh I don't even see how they allowed him to be one with a mind destroyed like that."

"So you're giving him an excuse as to why he beats on Ginny?" I asked feeling myself getting upset.

"Not so much of an excuse. What he has done to the poor girl is absolutely disgusting and wrong. But he does need to see somebody. He needs to be locked up and made to see someone before any more innocent people get hurt. Thank God they don't have any kids."

I sat there and thought about it. What she was saying made a lot of sense however I didn't want Potter to have an out. He always got away with the bullshit he did and this would be no exception.

A couple hours later Zabini came back with nothing.

"Enjoy your wild goose chase Zabini?" I asked.

"Fuck off." said Zabini grinning. "Ginny, your brother told me you're wanted at home."

Ginny froze. Her eyes got big as saucers." Oh shit Ron told my parents didn't he? Or George did?"

"No. It's time you told them. You can't keep this a secret forever, and if you don't say anything, no one can help you and get Potter off the streets. You know your father works close to the minister now. He can pull some strings." said Zabini.

"It's time Princess. You can't keep avoiding this forever. You've already avoided it for 6 years. Your parents need to know." I said holding her close to me.

"And besides, your brother already told the family you would be coming so you're going." Zabini said with a smirk.

"Thanks a lot Ron. You too Blaise. What would I do without you annoying prats in my life?" said Ginny sarcastically.

"Don't worry. I'm coming with you. I'm bringing Jada along as well to meet your hundreds of nieces and nephews."

"I'll come as well." I said. "That is if you want me to, Gin."

Ginny smiled at me and nodded. "Of course. You have to be there to keep me from running away."

An hour later we flooed over to Ginny's childhood home. The Burrow.

* * *

I had only been here one time before. It was for Ginny's 14th birthday. She had invited Zabini and I and I remembered that day very well. No one wanted me there at all, the twins turned me into a canary for an hour, and Ron and I got into a fight and almost landed in her birthday cake.

Mrs. Weasley hugged her daughter tightly. As if she hadn't seen her in years. That puzzled me.

"Ginny dear! Where have you been?! You haven't been here since last summer! Are you still on reserve?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

Ah. Figured.

Ginny held on tightly to her mother. She looked as if she was trying to hold back her tears. She kept shaking her head and mouthing the words "I'm sorry."

Mrs. Weasley looked over Ginny's shoulder and noticed me, Zabini, and Jada. She beckoned me over, a big smile plastered on her face.

"Draco Malfoy? My my my have you grown handsome! Get over here sweetheart!" she said as she pulled me into her hugging me as if I was her long lost son.

"Oi Molly! And what am I an ogre? I thought we had something." said Zabini from behind me.

"Oh Blaise you flirt! You haven't changed at all I see. Come here!" she said hugging him as well.

"And who is this lovely little lady?" she asked seeing Jada behind Zabini's leg.

"Molly Weasley, meet my daughter, Jada Zabini." Zabini said as Jada shook Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley smiled and shook Jada's small hand. "Oh Blaise dear, she is absolutely beautiful. I would have never fancied you a father."

"Me neither Molly, but I can't imagine not being one now."

"Well, some of the kids are already outside. Care to join them Jada?" asked Mrs Weasley, handing Jada a Popsicle.

Jada looked at her dad and he nodded and she proceeded to go outside and meet Ginny's nieces and nephews. Ginny began to point them out.

"The tall silver haired one? That's Victoire. The little strawberry blonde one is Dominique. And over there, the pretty one with the long black hair is Roxanne. Oh wow Mum is that Teddy Lupin? He has gotten so big!" said Ginny pointing at a blue haired boy who looked as if he was trying to impress the girls.

"Oh yes. Teddy is here a lot what with Andromeda working back at the Ministry again. I thought you knew that. Doesn't Harry mention anything?"

Ginny's smile disappeared. "Harry actually haven't seen Teddy since he was 2 I believe."

"Really? That's strange. He's the child's godfather, I would have thought he would see him more."

"Harry has...changed Mum." said Ginny looking down at the ground.

"Really? How? What's the matter dear?"

"Why don't we wait for everybody to get here Mum? Who is all coming?" she asked.

"Well all the boys of course. Angelina and Hermione had planned a sleepover for the kids. Blaise, Jada is welcome to join of course if you would like."

Zabini nodded. "It would be good for her. She seems to have fit in very quick with them." he said watching Jada chase after the others. He went outside with her to get to know the kids better.

Ginny took a hold of my hand. She gently pulled me up the stairs to her old room.

She walked into her room and stood in the middle of it looking around. There was a small pile of toys in the corner. Looked like the kids played in here when they visit.

"Are you okay?" I asked noticing that she was slightly shaking.

"I'm just nervous to tell them you know?"

"Why haven't you visited in a year? And what was that lie?"

"Draco don't. I didn't ...my brothers used to go to my games when I played. When Harry made me quit, I had lied to them and said I had an injury that was taking awhile to heal so I was put on reserve. Last year things got so bad that I told Mum that I would be travelling with the team as a reserve so I wouldn't be around much. I just didn't want her to see what was happening to me. I told the same lie to the others. The only one that didn't go for it was Ron."

I went over to her and hugged her from behind. She seemed to relax some and sighed.

"I feel like my brothers are going to put the blame on me. Maybe not all of them. I already know what George and Ron think. But Percy? He will find some kind of way to make this my fault."

"If he does, fuck him. Not everybody can be a perfect wanker like him." I said annoyed. Percy always rubbed me the wrong way. He was pompous and more ambitious than us Slytherins. He threw his own family under the bus for some mediocre promotion at his job.

"Remember when you were here on my birthday and I had wanted to take a nap and your dumbass climbed in the bed with me and fell asleep?" Ginny said with a laugh.

"Shit how could I forget? I was sleeping peacefully and I'm jerked up by the oldest I believe and launched into the wall. Very rude awakening." I said as I shook my head picturing it.

"They thought you took advantage of their dear baby sister." laughed Ginny.

"Yeah. Well, they didn't know how much they should have worried about their precious baby sister taking advantage of me." I said with a wink.

"Oh whatever. I was completely innocent."

"This coming from the girl in her 5th year that decided that the only person allowed to give me a lapdance on my 16th birthday-"

"Shut up!" said Ginny turning around and pushing me off of her.

"It was rather good too."

"Draco stop!" laughed Ginny.

* * *

Later that night Hermione drove and picked up the kids, leaving Weasley at the house. Bill, Fleur, George, Percy, his wife, and Charlie (who was my favorite because he worked with dragons) all sat at the table along with me, Zabini, Ginny, and Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. We all ate and reminisced about Hogwarts days and how much they used to hate me. Good times.

After dinner, everyone piled into the sitting room. Ginny ended up sitting on my lap, much to Bill's disapproval. I guess he hadn't forgotten the nap either.

Ginny stood up and stood in the middle of the room. She looked like a scared nymph.

"Okay, so I know that everyone is wondering why Mum and Dad called for an All Weasley meeting. I have something to tell you...and I'm hoping that you won't be angry at me."

"Gin are you pregnant or something?" asked Charlie. "Cuz I'm mean you're 23 now so that wouldn't be a major issue like if you were 16 or something."

"No I'm not pregnant." said Ginny laughing softly.

George and Weasley started to look angry, although no one caught it but Ginny and I.

"Where's Harry? Did he work today?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." said Ginny.

"Gin, just tell them. The more you drag this out, the more time you waste for us hunting his ass down" said Ron cracking his knuckles.

"Weasley, shut up!" I yelled.

"Hunt down?" asked Bill. "What's going on?"

"Will you gentlemen please let Ginny speak?" said Fleur growing, impatient.

"Thanks Fleur." said Ginny. "Anyways, Harry and I have broken up."

The Weasley's looked at Ginny. All except George and Weasley had a look of confusion. Especially Mrs. Weasley.

"Ginny dear what happened? Why?"

"Because...Harry..." Ginny looked over at me. "I can't do this" she said to me.

I stood up and walked over to her. "I'll say it." I whispered to her. She nodded.

"Draco? Do you have something to do with this?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"No sir." I said. "Potter isn't the same boy from Hogwarts that you know. For the past 6 years, he has been abusing Ginny. Physically."

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop on carpet. They all stared at Ginny and I as if we had hit them with an Unforgivable.

"Ginny? Is this...is this true?" Mrs. Weasley finally managed to get out.

"Show them" I whispered to Ginny pointing to her stomach.

Ginny lifted up her shirt and shown the long scar that wrapped around her body. Along with other small scars.

The family collectively gasped. Mrs. Weasley buried her face into Mr. Weasley's arm and bawled. Fleur cried into Bill's arms while Bill stared at Ginny wide eyed and mouth. Percy's wife had to leave the room.

Ginny put her shirt down and looked at her family. She sighed and coughed to get everyone's attention.

"This came from May. I don't even remember all of what happened. I was in the hospital for a good 3 weeks before they let me go. I've been staying with Draco every since." said Ginny.

"6 years Ginevra? This has been going on for 6 years and you're just now saying something?" huffed Percy.

"Shut up Perce." said George

"No. This needs to be said. You have been with this man for 6 years and allowed him to abuse you like this? What were you thinking? Why didn't you go to at least one of us?!"

"Because of you!" I yelled. "Because the way you are acting right now! She felt she couldn't tell anyone. She felt people would blame her, and she was correct on you!"

Percy glared at me but I really didn't care. Charlie shook his head at his brother then got up and took Ginny by the hand, leading her outside.

"So, Draco, you've been taking care of Ginny while she's been recovering?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Yes sir. She's been staying at my house and she usually hangs out with Zabini, Hermione, and your son. She hasn't played quidditch in years. He made her quit. He ostracised her from her friends, Zabini and I included. He told her what to do, how to act, where to be, put her down, and then the worst of it, put his fu-...his hands on her. What's even more worse is that Ginny can't even recall what happened to her this last time because he used the cruciatus curse on her."

"OH MY GOD MY BABY!" Mrs. Weasley shouted running to the kitchen. Mr. Weasley went after her as the room erupted in swear words and cries and yells.

"Ron! Harry gave out no indication that he had done something to her?!" Bill yelled.

"None. And I feel fucking stupid that I had no clue. They both hid it from me and Hermione very well. I didn't find out til the day Malfoy came and told us and we went to find her almost dead at Grimmauld Place."

Percy's wife had walked back in and sat with a sobbing Fleur while Bill paced the floor not knowing what to do with himself. Percy sat there looking as if he was above it all. It disgusted me, but before I could open my mouth and say anything about it...

"You there. Percy right? How could you talk like that to your sister?" said Zabini.

"Excuse you but you don't know me to address me with such contempt. She should have said something. She should have left." said Percy unphased by Zabini's words.

"Percy!" yelled his wife. "How dare you!"

"What did I said wrong, Audrey?" yelled Percy showing some emotion. "I know you all are thinking it too. She should have left him. Why would she stay with a man that put his hands on her?"

"You're really fucking pissing me off. Ron, Bill, George, madam, I'm sorry but your brother and husband is a fucking dick! You don't question Ginny's reasons for staying and enduring what she did. You are supposed to be fucking there for her! I'm not even blood and I'm more of a brother to her than you, you tosser!" yelled Zabini tears streaming down his cheeks.

The only times I've ever seen Zabini cry as an adult was when he was angry at his last stepfather for arguing with his mother, and when he brought Jada home for the first time.

The other Weasley's looked as if they didn't care that Zabini had told Percy off. Percy got up with a "humph", went to the fireplace, and flooed away.

"Audrey, I hope you aren't in agreement with him." said Bill addressing Percy's wife.

Audrey shook her head. "Not at all. He deserved that. That's actually nothing compared to what I'm going to say to him when I get home. I'm so sorry that your sister has been going through that. My stepfather you know was a Dolohov. A Death Eater. He abused my mum as my sister and I watched. It was hard for my mother to leave him, but finally in my 5th year she did. I applaud your sister for finally leaving and I'm glad she had good people to help her with that." she said looking at me.

* * *

Ginny came walking back in with Charlie. The room got quiet and everybody stood up.

"Sorry. I needed to talk to her alone." said Charlie. "Bill, Draco, George, Ron, Blaise? Expect an owl from me soon yeah?"

We nodded quite confused.

Charlie kissed Ginny on the forehead and whispered something in her ear which she nodded to. Then he went to the fireplace and flooed away.

"I have to go as well family. I'm going to straighten my husband out. Ginny sweetheart, you know you can owl me if ever you want to talk to me okay?" Audrey said. Ginny nodded and gave her a smile and a hug and then Audrey left. Bill and Fleur gave their hugs and kind words and they were off as well.

I sat down on the couch and Ginny sat beside me. The only ones left in the room were Zabini, Weasley, and George.

"Mum and Dad already spoke to me, they decided to go to bed." said Ginny after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"What's Charlie talking about?" asked George.

Ginny sighed. "He had tried to use a spell to make the scars go away, but it didn't work. That's why he took me outside. But he's angry. At Harry. He basically wants to hunt him down. But I don't want either of you to do that. I don't need anyone going to Azkaban over me. Especially you four" she said looking at her brothers, me and Zabini. "You two have kids. And Ron, you're getting married in a couple of days. And Draco...I can't lose you"

"You won't lose me. You won't lose any of us. You just worry about yourself. We don't need this morning happening again."

"What happened this morning?" asked Weasley.

Ginny sighed. "Harry found me in Hogsmeade. He held me by my throat and then slapped me, but I'm okay."

"Bullshit!" yelled George. "That shit happened after you left me didn't it? What the fuck! He was right bloody there!"

"George please!"

"This is some fuckshit Gin! He's hunting you, why the hell can't we go after him? Fuck this! I'm going home!" yelled Weasley and he walked out the door, slamming it so hard dishes fell and broke. A couple seconds later, he came back in. He walked over to Ginny and hugged her tight.

"I'm not pissed at you Gin, don't ever think that. I'm just...I'll owl you okay?" said Weasley. He kissed her cheek, fixed the broken dishes, and then went back out the door.

"Well gents, I for one need a good and strong firewhiskey. Care to join Zabini? Malfoy?" asked George.

"Sure, I could use one myself." said Zabini rubbing his eyes.

"Ginny, I'll do whatever you want." I said.

"I'm just gonna stay here, but Draco you can go with them if you want. Don't let me stop you."

"The last thing I need is to be inebriated, Gin." I smirked.

George and Zabini hugged Ginny and then left, hoping to catch up with Weasley and see if he wanted to catch a drink with them. Ginny cuddled up beside me and played with a string on her shirt.

"Thanks for being there for me tonight. I couldn't bring myself to talk. I feel like they don't know me anymore."

"They know you Princess."

"Do they? Am I still the person I've always been?"

"Of course you are. You're just...wounded right now. You'll get back to her."

"Are you sure?"

"God Ginny do you want me to sound like a sappy git? You're okay love. You'll be okay." I said hugging her closer to me.

Ginny smiled. "I'm tired. Feel like taking a nap with me?"

"Dunno. Last time I took a nap with you I swore I had a concussion."

"You'll be fine. And don't worry. I won't take advantage of you." said Ginny with a wink.

"You know you can if you want to. I won't object."

"Prat"


	12. Chapter 11: Stag Night

He comes from a foreign place

An island far away

Intrigues me with every move

Til' I'm breathless, I'm helpless

Can't keep my cool

Steals my heart when he takes my hand

And we dance, to the rhythm of the band

I feel his fingertips, grip my hips

And I slip as we dip into a rare bliss

-Christina Aguilera Infatuation

* * *

Chapter 11: Stag Night

The night before Hermione's wedding, I found myself with her, Parvati, Luna, Angelina, and two of Hermione's cousins in Gryffindor tower. Since the wedding was being held there, we were allowed to stay over and have respectable (even though I knew that Draco, Blaise, and my brothers threw Ron otherwise) bachelor and bachelorette parties. Being as prim and sweet as she was, Hermione had just wanted to spend time with the people she was closest to and do girly things like we used to during our school days. And we did. After the strippers that Angelina and I had hired as a surprise left.

"I CANNOT believe I let you two do this to me!" said Hermione with a both annoyance and amusement in her voice.

"Oh come on Hermione, it was your last night being single. You had to go out with a bang." I said.

"And really this was nothing." said Angelina with a wink. "You don't even wanna know what I did for my bachelorette party."

The whole room laughed. Hermione gave in and started laughing as well.

"Well, this may not have been what I would have done for myself but thank you ladies, this was indeed a lot of fun." said Hermione smiling at me and Angelina.

"Don't mention it." said Angelina. "Besides, we had to one up what the Weasley men and the Slytherin Kings had planned for Ron."

"Angie! X-nay!" I shouted.

"What? What are you talking about?" asked Hermione looking suspicious.

"Hermione it's probably nothing." chimed in Parvati sensing the growing worry in Hermione. "Men have stag parties all the time. They probably somewhere in the castle getting pissed or something."

"With vagina all around..." added Angelina.

"ANGIE!"

"WHAT?"

"VAGINA?" yelped a now very nervous Hermione.

"Shit. Thanks a lot Angelina, now you got poor Hermione paranoid." I said throwing one of the male strippers thongs at her.

"What? No i- ohhhhhhhhhh" said Angelina taking a look at Hermione's face. "Oh dear. Hermione don't panic. This is Ron we are talking about. Sure, the men have came up with some outlandish things for him, but you know he wouldn't do anything to mess up tomorrow." she said rubbing Hermione's back.

Hermione nodded. And then she started grinning. "Why don't we just see exactly what the boys are doing?" she said mischievously.

All the girls and I started giggling like 4th years. "Sounds wonderful." I said. "But where in the castle are they? The dungeons? The astronomy tower?"

"I'm thinking Room Of Requirement." said Luna grinning. "Minimum effort for maximum fun you know."

"Brilliant!" said Angelina. "Let's go party crash."

The seven of us put disillusion charms on ourselves (Hermione's cousins Cecile and Jacqueline were muggleborns who had attended Beauxbatons Academy) and ran to the 7th floor. Sure enough, there was loud music being muffled by the walls but no door. I walked past the walls three times thinking "we want to crash Ron's party" and then a small door appeared, small enough for us to crawl through one at a time. I guess the room wanted us to be even more inconspicuous.

We crawled through, me going last. When I got into the room my jaw dropped just like the girls had.

The room looked like a huge muggle club with a gigantic bar and all types of alcohol both muggle and wizard. Women were dancing in cages above our heads and stages with poles were set up as well.

We looked around and spotted the guys in a corner sounding like they were baiting someone on. We snuck around to see what was going on and when we got there, Hermione let out a laugh so loud she almost gave us away.

There, in the middle of a circle of his friends was Ron. He was bound to a chair and was being forced to endure a lapdance from one of the many dancing girls. The guys were cheering him on while he looked absolutely mortified.

"Well dear," said Angelina to Hermione laughing. "At least you know that your man is too scared to even touch another woman for stag party's sake."

"This does look like a lot of fun, non?" said Cecile in a French accent that was much heavier than Fleur's. "Per'aps we join in ze party?"

"Ooh I have an idea!" I said. "Did you girls wear your pretty knickers tonight?"

"Ah Ginny! I think I know 'ere you are going weet zis" said Jacqueline jumping up and down and clapping. "Is zat cocoa skinned wizard dere belonging to any of you?" she asked pointing out Blaise.

I laughed. "Nope. He's a free agent."

We stripped down to just our knickers and bras ("ooh nice lace Hermione!") and put back on our cloaks. The initial plan was to take the men by surprise. Angelina and Hermione of course would be going for George and Ron , I for Draco, Jacqueline for Blaise, Luna for Neville, Parvati for Dean, and Cecile for a Ravenclaw that I couldn't remember the name of.

As the girls went and stalked their selected men, I snuck up on Draco. When I got close enough I pulled up his shirt.

"The fuck?!" cried out Draco jumping up and looking around himself scared.

I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't laugh out loud. I latched onto him and whispered in his ear.

"Scared ferret?"

"Shit, Ginny?" said Draco looking around.

"Turn around."

Draco turned so quick he could have knocked me down.

"Ginny quit fucking around where are you?"

I laughed and took his hands and placed it on my waist. He gripped my waist tightly after the shock of feeling something and seeing nothing. Then he started smiling.

Disillusion charm? Why Ginevra you sneaky minx you." He smiled pulling me into him. He smelled of firewhiskey and expensive cologne.

"Well after we had our fun we decided to ruin Ron's. Although, it didn't look like he was having much fun."

Draco laughed loudly. "Let's just say Granger will NEVER have to worry about him stepping out on her. It took us forever to make him open his eyes to look at these girls. And you see what we had to do to get him a lapdance."

"I mean it took Ron 7 years to open up to Hermione about his feelings. What do you expect?" I said as I started moving to the music.

"True...ummmm what are you doing? Aren't you gonna show yourself?" asked Draco, more than likely feeling embarrassed as it was starting to look like he was swaying with the air.

"No. This is rather fun." I said as I started grinding up against him.

He laughed and started to match my movement, getting over his embarrassment. He seemed confused about where to put his hands, but eventually he got the hang of it.

* * *

While we were dancing, I looked around to see what was happening with the other girls. Hermione had revealed herself to Ron who looked very excited to see his fiance there, and in just her underwear. They were now enjoying each other and actually, with Hermione's encouragement, was having fun with the strippers and handing them money. Blaise and Jacqueline seemed to be getting to know each other. That was until Blaise mistaked her for a stripper and tried to pay her for a lap dance, which he was promptly slapped for. Angelina and George had disappeared. Luna seemed to be playing the same joke on Neville as I did on Draco because he looked positively mortified. And I didn't know where the other ones were.

"Wait...Granger is in her fucking underwear?!" exclaimed Draco as he had just noticed her and Ron throwing muggle money at the strippers.

"Yeah silly we all are." I said.

"All including you too? Hell no, you're staying invisible." said Draco pulling me closer to him.

I laughed. It was cute how protective he was being. "Why? My bra and knickers are beautiful."

"Really? What color are they?" whispered Draco seductively after finding my ear. His voice and his breath on my ear sent shivers down my spine.

"Black."

"I love black."

"I know. Too bad I'm invisible and all." I teased. I didn't know what was making me want to flirt and be tempting to him. Maybe it was because I hadn't had decent sex in months. Maybe it was the fact that I was indeed almost naked.

It couldn't be the fact that Draco's warm hands on my bare skin and his beautiful smell was consuming my senses, making me feel like I had to have him at that very moment.

Oh no Ginny. Not that at all.

"Maybe take the charm off for a little bit?" whispered Draco.

"Perhaps another time." I said and Draco gave me a look of fake disappointment.

As Draco's hand graced my back going over a long scar I had back there I suddenly felt very vulnerable. I knew no one could see me but me but I suddenly became aware of every scar that was still visible on my body. He had seen them before, but not in such an intimate setting. I was scared.

I pulled away from him and stood there looking as he started looked confused. "Gin? Are you okay? Are you still there?"

"I...I'll be back." I said. I ran over to where our clothes were and immediately got dressed. I felt ugly and disfigured. Draco couldn't see me like this. What would he think of me? He would probably see me as weak. Something I had been thinking about for a while.

I took the charm off and watched my brother and Hermione (with her knickers transfigured into shorts because apparently Ron didn't want everybody seeing what he called her 'glorious ass') dance together. As I watched them grind and intertwine I couldn't help but not only be overjoyed for them but also be insanely jealous. My brother had found a woman that he positively adored. That he would give his life for. Never would he ever do anything to hurt her. Oh sure they had the occasional row, but that was always Ron and Hermione. And even with those he always treated her with the utmost respect.

I thought I had a love like that. Didn't I deserve a love like that? Instead of hugs and kisses I got scars and bruises. No sweet hugs, only swift blows.

And here I was even more damaged than before both externally and internally. If ever I did deserve someone as good as my brother in my life, that was now gone.

I couldn't continue to get close to Draco. I wasn't the same woman that he once knew. I was shattered. I was broken. I would only be an empty shell to him. And he deserved a lot better than me.

I ran out of the room and back to the tower. I went into my old dorm, laid in my old bed, and cried myself to sleep.


	13. Chapter 12: The Wedding (Draco's Story)

These two chapters will focus on the events of the wedding. This chapter will be in Draco's POV and the next will be retold in Ginny's POV. There will be a couple parts that repeat themselves but not too much. You will understand the reasoning on why I did this after reading Ginny's chapter.

Happy reading!

* * *

No more talk of darkness

Forget these wide-eyed fears

I'm here, nothing can harm you

My words will warm and calm you

Let me be your freedom

Let daylight dry your tears

I'm here, with you, beside you

To guard you and to guide you

-All I Ask Of You from The Phantom Of The Opera

* * *

Chapter 12: The Wedding (Draco's Story)

It had been a long time since I had woken up lacking a hangover from a stag night. When Pansy and Goyle got married, I almost didn't make it to the wedding because I had woken up in a pasture sleeping against a sheep. But that was another story.

After Ginny had left me the night before, I didn't drink anything else. I had felt confused and guilty. As if I had done something wrong to her. At first, I had chalked it up to her just not wanting me to see her in her knickers, despite the fact that I had before, but under different circumstances. But as I thought about it, I felt her trembling before she left me. Like she was actually scared of me. And I couldn't understand why.

Maybe it was an aftermath of being abused for so long. She wasn't ready to let another man in. Which I could understand. If I was being beaten by the opposite sex for 6 years of my life, I wouldn't want to be around them either.

It would take a lot to get her to come around. Ginny had always been a stubborn girl. But this really didn't have anything to do with her ability to not want to go against instincts. This was about protecting herself. Even though she knew as well as I knew that I would NEVER lay a hand on her, I would NEVER call her out of her name, she still needed time to assure herself 100% of that.

And while I was willing to give her that time, it still hurt.

But at the moment I had to concentrate on her brother's wedding.

When Ron Weasley asked me to take Potter's place as best man, it confused the fuck out of me. He had a million brothers to choose from, plus his Gryffindor friends.

He had went on this spiel about how if it wasn't for me, his sister wouldn't be here anymore so he felt indebted to me. I told him that it wasn't necessary, however he wouldn't concede, so I said I would.

I bet it hurt him that it wasn't his actual best friend. His best friend that betrayed him by abusing his sister. Potter had hurt a lot more people than just Ginny by doing what he did.

I had gotten all suited up and made my way to the transfiguration classroom where the men were to be preparing. Weasley, his brothers, and his father were already there. Along with me, Ron had chose his brothers Bill and George to be his other groomsmen.

I walked up to Weasley with a small 2 ounce bottle of firewhiskey in my hands. "From what I've seen at weddings you're allowed this much to take the edge off before you get married." I said giving it to him.

Weasley downed the bottle in one huge gulp. "Thanks mate. Very much needed. Don't know why I'm nervous. I've spent half my life with her already."

"Yeah you were supposed to sip it Ronnie. No more booze for you" said Bill looking around to ensure there wasn't anything else in the room besides water that Weasley could get a hold to.

Mrs. Weasley popped her head in to let us know that we had 5 minutes to get into the great hall where everything was going to take place. As Weasley and I walked down the aisle and stood where in the old days the headmaster would stand and give announcements and speeches, I noticed how very full the great hall was. All of our graduating class of Gryffindor was there including that one annoying blonde that basically made Weasley and Granger, Parvati's twin sister, a few Ravenclaws that I believe Granger had arithmancy with, a few Puffs, a lot and I did mean a lot of red heads that meant cousins and distant relatives of Weasley, and Granger's muggle family. There were also some professors, including McGonagall who was still very much alive and kicking. Nothing could get that woman down.

Professor Flitwick was the officiant for the wedding. He stood to the right of him. He cracked what we thought was a smile (you could never tell with ol Flitwick) and the music began.

Parvati and George started the procession. The way the wedding was set up, Granger had each of her maids representing a house. Parvati and George represented Hufflepuff, with Parvati wearing a sari of yellow and George wearing yellow and black dress robes, looking very much like a bumblebee. They didn't think that one through.

Next was Luna and Bill representing Ravenclaw with Luna wearing a shiny blue dress, with Bill wearing blue dress robes. At least he looked a lot better than his brother.

Next came Ginny by herself looking gorgeous in her Slytherin green dress that complimented everything about her. I found myself staring at her as if she was walking down the aisle just for me. She looked over at me and winked (as of course I matched her in green) and went and stood beside the others. My eyes didn't leave her and I couldn't help but mouth "beautiful" to her and she blushed and smiled.

Victoire and a little boy who looked as if he was related to Granger walked down next as ring bearer and flower girl. The little boy looked quite like he didn't want to be there, while Victoire was proudly throwing out flower petals and making sure her strawberry blonde curls flowed as she turned her head and smiled.

'So full of herself. She would make a great Slytherin someday' I thought to myself.

Then it was Granger's turn. I had to admit, she looked gorgeous in her white dress with a red sash (Gryffindor or course) around her waist. Ron must have stopped breathing because he just stared at her as if she was the only person in the room. I felt mildly jealous. Not because he was marrying Granger, but you could read the absolute love all over his face as he looked at her come down the aisle with her father, and it was something that I had think I only felt one time before.

A long long time ago.

She met Ron at the end and both of them were smiling so hard their faces could have fallen off at any minute. The bridesmaids were already tearing up, it was a sickening scene.

My focus drifted over to Ginny who was looking at the two of them very attentively. She looked lost in their love story, as if she was picturing her and someone else in her brother and Granger's place.

She must have felt my eyes on her because she glanced over at me and our eyes met. She gave me a smile that I really couldn't explain. It wasn't like a regular smile, it had emotion behind it. I just couldn't register it. But I knew I loved it and wouldn't mind seeing that smile every day of my life.

Our connection broke when we had to hand over the rings. After that, the wedding was somewhat of a blur. Soon Flitwick was telling Ron to kiss the bride and they shared one of those trashy witch romance novel marriage kisses that everybody cried and awwwwed for. I couldn't help but clap.

As everybody stood up and clapped for the new Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Bilius Weasley, the room transformed. The rows of chairs disappeared and was replaced by a big space surrounded by round tables and chairs. Reception. My favorite part.

The wedding party had went outside to take pictures at various places and I actually had fun. Granger, well Hermione I guess I had to start calling her, had had us taking pictures in the quidditch pitch, in front of the lake, in front of the entrance to the castle, and even on brooms, much to Hermione's fear. That part was Ron's idea.

* * *

We went back to the hall where the reception had started and everyone was eating. Hermione and Weasley were called to have their first dance.

Ginny came up beside me and offered me a glass of champagne. "You look like you need this."

"Hell yeah thank you. The love in the room is absolutely nauseating." I said taking the glass from her and taking a sip.

"It is, but you gotta admit, it's a bit wonderful to watch. It's actually a dream come true for me." said Ginny.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, I called this wedding in my 3rd year after 2 years of seeing them interact with each other. I used to tell Hermione myself that she would marry him and she used to laugh at me. I had planned out her whole wedding. She said that if that was to ever happen, she would use my plan. What started as a joke, became a reality. It's really beautiful actually." said Ginny watching the pair waltz around the room.

"So that's why you were watching the wedding like you were."

"Hmm? Oh...well yeah. I guess." she said blushing and taking a sip of her drink.

It came to our turn to dance and we got on the floor. We had practiced that shit 5 times this week but all of a sudden I was nervous. As we danced, my nerves started to disappear as we waltzed around. Soon it felt like we were the only ones dancing as we looked up from our feet and locked eyes on each other. I couldn't look away from those ambers if I tried. I felt drawn to her and that familiar feeling that I had earlier came back and crashed into me like a wave crashing into rocks.

The first time I had felt like this was when I was 14. It was at the Yule Ball my 4th year. I had escaped a horrible Pansy and was trying to rest my feet when 13 year old Ginny had came and sat beside me.

*FLASHBACK*

December 25, 1994

"You look like you're having tons of fun." laughed Ginny as she watched me take my shoe off and rub my aching foot.

"Oh yeah. I'm having loads of fun having my feet trampled by a bint that can't dance for shit. She isn't coming is she?" I said quite paranoid.

Ginny laughed but took a quick look around for me. "Nope, you're safe. "

"Why aren't you out there with your lovely date Longbottom?" I asked not holding back the disdain in my voice.

"He's too busy being nosy with the latest Ron and Hermione fiasco. Apparently Ron didn't quite fancy Hermione attending the ball with Viktor Krum. Besides my feet needed a break as well." said Ginny smiling.

"Of course. Your brother is a buffoon. I don't even associate myself with them and I can tell that they are into each other. Guess he doesn't have a clue."

"Hey that's not fair. She doesn't either." said Ginny nudging me. She looked back at the door and watched as her brother and Granger walked out of it yelling at each other.

"Well since Ron is gone, do you want to have a dance with me?" asked Ginny.

I was taken aback. I didn't expect her to want to dance with me. "What about your date? I wouldn't want him attempting to hex me and end up dead."

"Jealous are we?" asked Ginny, slyly.

I was actually. But I wasn't about to let her know that.

"Me? Of Longbottom? Don't be ridiculous!" I proclaimed

"It's okay if you are. I am quite a catch you know."

"If I recall, I did ask you to this ball first."

"And you know why I couldn't Draco. It's bad enough Ron is angry that we are friends. He would have probably hexed your bollocks if we would have came to this together."

"Yeah and we both know how on par your brother's hexes are. Remember the slugs?" I said laughing.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on Malfoy, before I change my mind." she said pulling me up.

We walked over to the dance floor and started dancing. At first it felt kind of awkward. I didn't know exactly where to put my hands when it came to her. So we both had our hands on each other's shoulders. But as it music played, I found myself moving my hands to her waist and she linked her hands behind my neck.

Our movement got in tune to the music as we swayed back and forth. At first we were looking at our feet, trying not to step on each others but then we ended up looking into each other's eyes. I couldn't help but notice how brown her eyes were. They seemed to have a glow about them that I hadn't noticed before.

I started to feel something very unfamiliar to me. Emotions started hitting me like a Knight Bus. I hadn't noticed how good looking my best friend was to me. Had she always had that freckle near her mouth? Had her hair always been this auburn and looking as if it felt like expensive silk? Why does it feel like the room is spinning? Are our feet even touching the floor?

Shit. I think I know what this is. And it can't happen.

I'm falling for my best friend. I'm falling for a Weasley."

*END FLASHBACK*

* * *

As my mind drifted back to the reality that was in my arms right now, I couldn't help but smile. That same panic I had then, I was starting to feel now. Sure things were a hell of a lot different than they were when we were teenagers, but it felt as if once again I was wrong for continuing to fall for my best friend. Even harder.

"Draco?" I heard her say pulling me away from my thoughts.

"Princess?"

"I'm sorry for last night." she said.

"Yeah I was going to ask you about that. What happened to you?" I asked her.

Ginny shuddered in my arms. "I got nervous a little. Your hand kinda grazed over one of my scars and it scared me."

"Shit Ginny was that it? You know I don't care about that at all." I said.

"You don't? Because they aren't going anywhere anytime soon." She said looking down.

I felt like she wasn't speaking about her physical scars anymore.

I lifted her chin with my finger. "I understand. And you know I'm not going to either. I don't give a damn about a scar. We all have them. They are just reminders of what we lived through. What we overcame. All of them. Don't be ashamed of them, and don't keep them from me. Please Gin." I said kissing her forehead.

Ginny blushed and looked back down at her feet. "I'll try not to. I promise."

"That's all I ask, love."

Ginny looked up at me and smiled. I pulled her into me as close as I could get her. She put her head on my shoulder and I could feel her breath on my neck.

All of a sudden I felt her tense up. I heard her scream loudly in my ear "NO!"

And then the world was black.


	14. Chapter 13: The Wedding (Ginny's Story)

Part 2 of the wedding helps with the cliffhanger that I so cruelty made. Sorry lol.

* * *

My God, who is this man

Who hunts to kill?

I can't escape from him

I never will!

And in this labyrinth,

Where light is blind

The Phantom of the Opera

Is there

Inside my mind

-taken from The Phantom Of The Opera

* * *

Chapter 13: The Wedding (Ginny's Story)

"I'm so nervous, I'm so nervous, I'm so nervous, I'm so nervous!" repeated Hermione over and over to herself.

"Calm down love, everything is going to go splendidly" said Mrs. Granger. trying to reassure her.

"Oh come on Hermione, why are you acting like this? You've been around Ron since you were 11 years old. You two have practically been married since forever, what's the problem?" I asked her handing her a glass of water.

"What if I rip my dress walking down the aisle? What if my heel breaks? What if I fall? OH MY GOD! WHAT IF RON ISN'T THERE?!" shouted Hermione starting to have a full on panic attack.

I grabbed a book and started fanning her. "You need to calm down Granger! You'll ruin your makeup and I did a fantastic job. You will be gorgeous and you won't fall, rip, or break and Ron will definitely be waiting for you at the end of the aisle."

Hermione looked hopelessly at me. I couldn't help but laugh as I rubbed her hand.

Mum poked her head into the room to let us know that the guys were ready and to give Hermione a calming potion for her nerves.

We all got in line ready to walk into the great hall. I couldn't tell why I was nervous as if this was my wedding or something, but I really felt like my knees were going to give out on me.

When my turn came to walk I tried to focus on what was directly in front of me but as I walked my eyes drifted over to Ron and Draco. Ron looked as if he was about to fall apart which was expected. But when my eyes met Draco's I found myself feeling like I was floating.

He looked absolutely gorgeous in his green dress robes coordinated with my green dress. He had this look on his face like the way he used to look at his favorite broom when he played Quidditch in school. I gave him a wink and walked over to my spot. He mouthed the word "beautiful" and I couldn't help but blush.

I found myself watching my brother as Hermione came down the aisle. He looked at if he was falling in love with her over and over again with each step she took. I found myself tearing up a bit.

I watched them go through the process of exchanging vows. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have the chance to experience the love that my brother and Hermione had for each other. It was real. It was strong. It was unbreakable. And they deserved it.

I suddenly felt as if I was being watched. I looked over and seen that Draco was practically looking into my soul. I started to feel butterflies in my stomach as if I were a teenager again. My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. Why was he affecting me like this? And what's more, why at this very moment? Of all places, a wedding. An event where true love was meant to be declared. I smiled at him as it felt like we were sharing our own moment in our minds. And when the rings were requested that moment had broke.

After the most beautiful kiss I had ever seen, everything went fast. We went outside and took pictures everywhere and came back and joined the reception where Hermione and Ron went to have their first dance as husband and wife.

* * *

Husband. My favorite brother was a husband now. It felt so surreal that Hermione was now my sister-in-law, but then again it didn't feel any different. It was meant to be from the moment they met.

I saw Draco sitting down watching the two dance. I grabbed two glasses of champagne and walked over to him.

"You look like you need this." I said handing him a glass.

"Hell yeah, thank you. The love in the room is absolutely nauseating." He taking the glass from me and taking a sip.

"It is, but you gotta admit, it's wonderful to watch. And it's actually a dream come true for me." I said with a smile.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, I called this wedding in my 3rd year after 2 years of seeing them interact with each other. I used to tell Hermione myself that she would marry him and she used to laugh at me and I had planned out her whole wedding. She said that if that was to ever happen, she would use my plan. What started as a joke, became a reality. It's really beautiful actually." I said as I watched Ron twirl Hermione around the room. His dancing had improved a lot since Bill's wedding.

"So that's why you were watching the wedding like you were." said Draco.

"Hmm? Oh...well yeah. I guess." I said blushing. I didn't realize how intent he was watching me to notice how into everything I was. It made me nervous so I took a gulp of the champagne.

It came time for the wedding party to join the bride and groom and Draco and I had to dance. It was cute looking at him be so nervous. When we started dancing I found myself even more nervous than he was, so I looked at my feet to make sure I wouldn't mess up. I started to feel more confident so I looked into his beautiful eyes. His eyes has always been my favorite part of him because they never lied no matter what would come out of his mouth. They were like swirling pools of silver, almost like unicorn blood. My heart was racing and I found myself both feeling scared and feeling safe at the same time.

"Draco?"

"Princess?"

"I'm sorry for last night." I said. I didn't know why I picked now to bring this up.

"Yeah I was going to ask you about that. What happened to you?" he asked me.

I gave a nervous shake. Might as well get it out. "I got nervous a little. Your hand kinda grazed over one of my scars and it scared me." I said.

"Shit Ginny was that it? You know I don't care about that at all."

"You don't? Because they aren't going anywhere anytime soon." I said looking down. He didn't deserve this. To be around me. To have damaged goods in his life.

"I understand. And you know I'm not going to either. I don't give a damn about a scar. We all have them. They are just reminders of what we lived through. What we overcame. All of them. Don't be ashamed of them, and don't keep them from me. Please Gin." he said kissing my forehead as if I were a baby.

I started feeling better about things. Maybe I really could let him in. Maybe we could be there for each other. "I'll try not to. I promise." I said smiling at him.

"That's all I ask, love." he said as he hugged me close to him, his smell hypnotizing my senses and I found myself getting lost in all the feelings that I had for him.

This could work. This could actually work. Maybe after the wedding we could talk about us. Maybe we could continue to live together and be happy with each other. I was feeling elated just thinking about it as I rested my chin on his shoulder.

Something inside me made me snap out of it and look up. To my horror I saw Harry. His green eyes glowed bright with a rage that overcame any that I have ever seen in him before. I froze up and watched him mutter a spell and a red light came shooting towards us.

"NO!" I screamed as the spell hit Draco in the back. I started falling as Draco's weight came crashing down on top of me.

Harry had stunned him. And I couldn't move.

Ron and Hermione must have seen what happened because they came running over to me. Ron pushed Draco off of me while Hermione was looking frantically around.

"What the bloody hell-"

"RON! HARRY'S HERE! HARRY'S HERE! HE STUNNED DRACO!" I screamed, tears streaming down my cheeks as I knelt down and rubbed Draco's face, which was bloody and bruised from hitting the floor.

Ron whipped out his wand and went to find his Auror friends that were in attendance. Hermione stayed with me as chaos had started to ensue. More people had started to realize that something had happened.

Blaise came out of nowhere asking questions that I couldn't even focus on to answer. He levitated Draco and placed him on a table. He healed his nose and tried to clean up the blood off his face and tried to revive him but the impact he made with the floor had knocked him out cold.

* * *

All of a sudden, I found myself being snatched back and covered. I tried to scream but nothing came out of my mouth. Harry had snatched me under his cloak and was holding onto me tightly, dragging me out of the great hall.

When we got out of the hall he dragged me down an empty corridor slammed me against the wall like he had at Hogsmeade.

"So it's true? You're really fucking with that wanker? You really left him for me huh?!" he yelled at me.

I opened my mouth finally able to speak. "I left you because of this Harry! Now let go of me or I'll scream!"

"You scream and I'll kill you." he said with every ounce of seriousness he could muster. I shut my mouth up tight.

"I told you to bring your ass home did I not? And you didn't listen. What's more, you told your family? My bloody best friends?! How fucking dare you!" he said punching me in the mouth.

I tasted the metallic taste of my own blood. I felt it dripping from my lip, landing on my exposed skin on my chest.

"You would fight me here Harry? With Ron, my brothers, and aurors here looking for you? Why can't you just leave me alone?" I sobbed.

"Because I love you Ginevra. What kind of question is that?"

"No you don't Harry! Maybe you did at one point in our lives, but not anymore. You wouldn't do what you do to me if you truly loved me. Now let me go Harry, please!" I begged him

"I'm giving you 48 hours to bring your ass home, Ginny. If you aren't home after 48 hours, I'm coming for both you and Malfoy and rest assured,q I'll do more than stun his ass. I'll obliterate him." he said looking straight into my eyes. He let go of me and disappeared.

I took off my shoes and ran back to the wedding and found Ron. I told him that Harry was in the castle under his invisibility cloak. He, Bill, Charlie, and some aurors went running out of the hall.

Mum was in the process of clearing out the hall and moving everyone to the quidditch pitch where we had planned for a more modern party for us after the reception, but that was ruined now. Hermione and Blaise looked at my now swollen face and lip. Draco was still knocked out laying on the table.

"He said he would kill him, Hermione. Bloody obliterate him was his words actually. If I don't go back to him in 48 hours. I can't escape him Hermione, I can't!" I yelled collapsing into a chair.

Blaise came over and cleaned the blood from off my face. "He isn't killing anyone Gin, and you are not going back to his ass. Absolutely not!"

"What can I do Blaise?! Every time I think I'm good, he finds me! He found me in Hogsmeade and he found me here! He won't stop looking for me Blaise! He ruined his best friends wedding because of me!"

"Harry is no friend of mine anymore Ginny. Nor of Ron's." said Hermione holding my hand. "And Blaise is right, you are not going back to him. And as soon as Malfoy comes to, you know he will tell you the same thing"

"I don't care what he tells me Hermione! I can't get him killed because of me! I...I. ..I love him too much to let that happen." I confessed.

"And he loves you too much to let you die for him, Red." said Blaise. "Because you know that'll happen if you go back to Potter. He isn't going to let you live."

I got up on the table and put Draco's head on my lap. I kept stroking his head and hair trying to get him to wake up. He had a horrid looking bump on his forehead.

His eyes started to move and his eyelids started to flutter. Blaise ran to get more ice and Hermione went to get a glass of water. Draco looked up at me, confused and in pain.

* * *

"What... the fuck happened?" he managed to get out.

"Harry stunned you Draco. And you fell and-"

"He stunned me? What the hell! Are you okay?! What happened to your face?! Why do you...ohhhhh shit..." He had sat up way too quick and had found himself dizzy.

"Focus on me Draco it's okay...you hit your head really hard so no fast movements okay?"

"Whatever whatever, just what happened to you? Are you okay?" said Draco looking directly at my swollen lip.

"I'll tell you later. Let's just focus on you right now. Please?" I begged him and started to cry, finding myself unable to stop.

Draco slowly scooted over to me. He put his arm on my shoulder and rubbed my arm. "I'm fine. Well, I'll be fine. What happened to YOU, Ginny?"

Before I could open my mouth to speak, Ron came busting in the hall along with two of his auror friends and Bill.

"He's gone. And we sent aurors to Grimmauld Place and he wasn't there either. There will be aurors on guard there in case he comes back" said Ron to Blaise.

He ran up to me and checked me out. "What happened? Did he say anythi- fuck did he hit you?!" he yelled as his eyes zeroed in on swollen lip.

"Never mind that. You have to find somewhere for Draco to go!"

"Oi! Somewhere for me to go?! What the hell for?" yelled Draco.

"Because I can't get away from him Draco! I can't fucking escape him! I'm trapped! And I've fucked up and brought you down with me!" I started yelling hysterically.

Rob shook me a bit trying to get me to snap out of my hysteria. "Gin please! What did he say?!"

"He...he said if I don't go back to him in two days he's going to kill Draco!"


	15. Chapter 14: Heart And Soul

You bring good to my lonely life, honestly

It's hard for me to look into your eyes

When, I say that I would be nothing without your love

I feel the rush and it's amazing

Maybe I've been always destined to end up in this place, yeah

I don't mean to come off selfish, but I want it all

Love will always be a lesson, let's get out of its way

Cause I know, all I know, all I know

-The Weeknd Prisoner

* * *

Chapter 14: Heart and Soul

Later that night, I found myself, Ginny, Zabini, and Weasley sitting at the Weasley's kitchen table at The Burrow. Ginny wasn't saying a word. She felt like everything that happened at her brother and now sister-in-law's wedding was her fault, no matter how many times Hermione protested to her that it wasn't.

"Mione, I'm sorry to tell you love, that until we find him, we can't go on a honeymoon." said Weasley looking grim.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and waved her hand dismissively. "Of course Ron, think nothing of it. I wouldn't dream of going anywhere with Harry running around like this."

"No! You two have to go. I already ruined the wedding. I don't want to ruin your honeymoon." said Ginny, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Hermione once again waved her hand."For the last time Ginny Weasley, you did not ruin our wedding. Harry did. And besides, I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself knowing people are in danger."

"Speaking of danger, we need to figure out what to do about Potter's bloody threat. I am taking this very seriously. I'm telling you right now Ron, if something happens to either of my friends, I'm fucking him up." said Zabini, cracking his knuckles.

"As an auror, I have to advise you against that, Blaise." said Weasley shaking his head. "As Ginny's brother, I fully agree with you. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we need a plan of action."

"Well I'm going to have to find him." said Ginny. "That's the only way he will leave Draco alone."

"Have you lost your damn mind Ginevra?! You are not going near that prick! I don't give a fuck if it is for me, you are not going anywhere!" I shouted at her.

'Then what the hell do you propose we do Draco?! He can find where you live as I have flooed from his house there before, so what the hell can we fucking do?! " screamed Ginny.

"I don't care what we do but handing you over isn't an option!"

"Wait..." said Hermione in her 'I just thought of some shit' voice.

"Wait what?"

"Maybe that's the thing that will get Harry to come out of hiding." said Hermione.

"Hermione, I love you, but have you gone bloody mental?!" yelled Ron.

"Hear me out! We could set up one of those sting operations you talk about, couldn't we? Make it seem like Ginny is giving herself up but have whatever place she meets him at surrounded, and as soon as he makes a move, capture him. "

"That too risky! What if Ginny got hurt?" I said not liking this fucked up plan one bit.

"Do you honestly think if Ron and the others are around they would let Harry harm her?" asked Hermione.

"No. But still, it's a bloody risk and I'm not willing to take it." I said crossing my arms.

"It wouldn't be you taking the risk now would it?" said Ginny clearly annoyed at me.

"No, but it is you and I don't want you to do it."

"It doesn't matter if you don't. Ron, if you want to go through with this plan, I'll do it." said Ginny.

Merlin, she was so fucking stubborn!

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL GINNY!" I yelled at her.

"AND WHO IS GOING TO STOP ME?"

"ILL STOP YOU! THE FUCK KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO RISK YOUR LIFE FOR SOME DUMBASS CAT AND MOUSE, THAT'S FINAL!"

"STOP IT DRACO YOU SOUND JUST LIKE HIM!" yelled Ginny running up the stairs.

Shit. I didn't even think about that. Potter has been controlling her movements for years and I'm the last person that needs to tell her what and what not to do. I felt horrible, all anger flying out the window

"Dammit...I'll go talk to her." I said getting up from the table and going up the stairs.

* * *

I went up to her room and opened the door to see Ginny laying on her bed crying. I felt my heart break. I had made my best friend cry.

"Ginny? Ginny I'm so so sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that." I said as I walked over to her and sat on the bed.

"You can't be like that with me." she sobbed.

"I wasn't trying to be anything with you. I just don't want you to get hurt." I said rubbing her back.

"He used to yell at me all the time when I said I wanted to go and see you and Blaise." said Ginny sniffling. "I used to beg him. Literally beg him to let me go see you two. But he would yell and claim that I just wanted to go and be a whore with you. He always thought you were "the other man" or something."

"Kinda hard to be the other anything if I hadn't seen you since graduation. Fucking ass." I said feeling myself grow angry.

"He knew how I felt about you. And he was scared."

"Well I don't know what he had to be- wait what? What do you mean about how you felt about me?" I said finally registering what she had said.

Ginny gave me a weak smile. "You had to have known that I cared for you more than just a friend. Or were you really that much of a git?"

I was really that much of a git. "Why didn't you say anything Gin?" I asked.

"What could I say? The war was going on, you had your bullshit with that Death Eater nonsense, and of course everyone expected me to get with Harry. So I basically did what was safe." said Ginny.

Couldn't argue with her on that one.

"Anyways, Harry always knew. He didn't want me anywhere near you. And that's one of the main reasons why after graduation, you didn't hear from me anymore." said Ginny blushing.

I felt many emotions at once. Happiness, because my feelings for her back then weren't in vain. Pissed at myself for not recognizing that she felt for me as much as I felt for her. Insanely stupid for not even making an attempt to show how I felt, and angry that Potter fucking knew and kept her away from me all these damn years.

I should have said something. I could have been the one with her and the two of them would have never happened. I could have saved her.

Fuck me!

"You look like you're blaming yourself for something." said Ginny looking into my eyes.

"I should have...but I didn't think that you wanted to be more than friends. I didn't want to lose you. But I ended up doing that anyways, didn't I?"

"It's my fault Draco. I should have thought for myself instead of everybody else and just went for what I really wanted." said Ginny.

"How could you have done that though, Gin? I was working for Voldemort, for crying out loud. I was ordered to kill Dumbledore. I let Death Eaters into the castle, I did so much fucked up shit Ginny!"

"You did Draco, you did. But we got back to each other didn't we? During my 6th year? We got our friendship back and you fought for us!"

"Still! I would have been wrong for you. Your parents wouldn't have allowed it, you know that shit. They had always wanted you and Potter together. What would they have done if they found out about their baby girl dating a fucking Death Eater?" I protested.

"You were never really a Death Eater Draco. You were a victim. Just like I was when I got possessed by Tom in my first year. You truly didn't ask for any of that. You were forced live a life that you never wanted." said Ginny taking my hand and holding it tight.

"And so were you, Gin. So were you." I said feeling as if I was going to cry.

"That's true and now I'm trying to get out of it. and I don't want to see the one man that truly cares for me get hurt because of the stupid choices I made at 16 years old." said Ginny standing up to face me, putting her hands on my legs, her face inches away from mine.

"So you still care about me?" I asked her, pulling her onto my lap.

"I've never stopped. But..."

"But what?"

"I'm damaged Draco. I'm worn out, I'm battered, broken. I wouldn't be anything for you." she said, looking down at her leg.

"Stop that. That's not true at all. You're everything to me. That shit has not changed and it doesn't matter what Potter has done to you, nothing will make me change my mind about you...damn Ginny you got me over here sounding like a lovesick prat." I said, actually feeling myself blush. God I felt like such a bloody first year.

"But you're my lovesick prat aren't you?" asked Ginny.

"I'll be anything you want me to be"

"Being mine is enough." she said as her lips pressed into mine.

I felt like I've been switched back on. Her lips were as soft as pillows and tasted like fine wine and expensive chocolate. I drew her closer to me and put all my emotions back into the kiss that was long overdue.

I was hers. Finally I belonged to her. And I was not going to let Potter take her away from me. Not this time.

My lips left hers as I kissed her forehead and then her nose. "Let's go somewhere. You and I. Let's just lay low."

"Where would we go?" she asked.

"Anywhere you wanted. It wouldn't matter to me, just as long as I'm with you."

"But Harry will hunt us down, Draco. He will find me and you. I refuse to lose you. Not when we finally have what we've always wanted."

"But Ginny-"

"No buts Draco. This has to end. He has to be stopped. I can't run anymore. And besides, Draco Malfoy, the King of Slytherin running away from Saint Potter? I didn't think that would be possible." Ginny said with a smirk.

"Cunning as hell! You were meant to be a Slytherin all along, Ginevra." I said, admitting that her words got the best of me.

"No. I was just meant to be with you." said Ginny giving me a peck on the lips.

"Oh Merlin, you're going to turn me into a total mushy putz aren't you?" I said rolling my eyes.

Ginny laughed. "Come on, let's go back and sort all this out yeah?"

"Fine. But I'm letting you know, I don't like it."

"I know. But you won't like running from Harry Potter for the rest of your life either now will you?"

"Point." I said rolling my eyes and taking her outstretched hand.

* * *

We went back downstairs where we had three pairs of eyes looking at us suspiciously.

"So," said Hermione. "Is the problem resolved?"

"Yes. Everything is sorted now." said Ginny smiling too hard giving basically everything away.

"And the snogging? Was it sufficient?" laughed Zabini.

"Fuck off Zabini." I said throwing a spark at him with my wand.

"Finally! It took you two long enough." said Hermione jumping up and hugging Ginny.

"I trust I don't have to give you the 'you hurt her I'll kill you' speech, eh Malfoy?" said Weasley.

"Never." I said.

After everyone had a laugh and a joke at our expenses, we sat down and tried to formulate a plan. About 10 minutes in, an owl came through an open window and dropped envelopes in front of me, Zabini, and Ginny.

"Ron, who's owl is this?" asked Ginny.

"No idea. Looks like a standard post owl, but why would they deliver to us at this hour? Careful guys." Weasley forewarned.

Zabini opened his envelope and pulled out what looked like a photograph. His eyes grew wide and in a flash, he dropped the contents on the floor, ran outside the house, and apparated away.

"The fuck was that about?" asked Weasley.

Hermione picked up the envelope and letter. Her jaw dropped as she yelled her husband's name.

"What is it?" I asked, snatching the photo from her hands.

I looked down and my heart felt as if it fell out of my body. There in the picture was Jada skipping around Zabini's front yard having fun, blissfully unaware that she was being watched. And in the corner of the picture, a red lightning bolt had been drawn.

"Jada...how the fuck-"

"Draco! Look! Your mum and you!" Ginny shouted. She had opened up my letter and seen two photos. One of me walking out of my home and one of my mother sitting on the porch of her house, smiling. Both had the same lightning bolts on them.

Ginny opened her envelope and in it was a letter. She opened it, read it, and handed it to her brother. She locked her arms around me and buried her head in my chest, but I found myself not being able to move.

Ron looked at the letter and seemed to lose the color in his face. He read it out loud.

 _Ginevra,_

 _Your 48 hours start now. You better tell you lover and friend to watch themselves._

 _-HP_


	16. Chapter 15: Plotting

I know it's been almost three weeks since an update has been made but I have very good reasons.

My mama had a brain hemorrhage two Saturdays ago and I have been in the hospital with her all of last week. Sadly she passed the following Sunday afternoon and I am now dealing with arrangements for her funeral.

I didn't abandon any of my stories. I would never because I hate when people do that especially when it's a really good story. I do beg for your patience as I'm going through this. Imma try to push out another chapter for the two other stories as well.

Anyways just wanted to let you know that for anyone who thought I had quit or something. Mrs. Ron Weasley isn't a quitter lol.

And with that let's continue with the story.

* * *

The good lord better bless your soul

'Cause I done already cursed your name

Don't matter which way you go

Payback's gonna come your way

-Bruno Mars Natalie

* * *

Chapter 15: Plotting

 _41 hours left_

Mum had to give everyone except Ron sleeping draught to make us sleep. I woke up 7 hours later feeling like pure shit.

What the hell had happened to Harry? To not only threaten Draco, but his mother and worse, an innocent 4 year old girl? Something had to have gone mental with him.

I floo called Blaise as soon as I got up but Miss Camilla had said that she hadn't seen him since last night. He had apparated home and taken Jada somewhere. She had no idea where the two of them were and I had no idea where to start looking.

I woke up Draco and told him what had happened. He said he would think of some places, but off the top of his head he couldn't think of where Blaise and Jada could have gone. Of course it would be somewhere safe, so maybe not knowing was a good thing.

All types of protective charms were put up around The Burrow. Even though Harry knew exactly where it was, he would have no way of getting through the charms.

Ron had left an hour after the letters came. He took the letters and photos with him to the ministry to see if he could get them tracked. They led back to the post office in Diagon Alley, where no one could tell them who sent the delivery. And the letter was not in Harry's handwriting, nor did it have his fingerprints on it or any of the others, so no way of tracking movement there.

Wanted posters were stuck everywhere in Britain, Hogsmeade, France, and anywhere else Harry had been. Ron and some of the top aurors were all over the place searching.

Draco and I sat in the sitting room on the couch while we waited on Ron to bring back some sort of word. I was curled up in his arms, the only way I truly felt safe. In my head as much as I wanted to fight this, I had to think about the fact that Harry had involved 2 innocent people. One being a child.

Why he had targeted Jada, I had no idea. But as she was now my goddaughter, I made a vow to protect her with everything in me.

And if that meant hunting down Harry myself I would.

"I don't like sitting around like this Draco." I said as I traced patterns on Draco's strong arm. "At least you told your mom to go into hiding, but what if he finds her?"

"He won't. I assure you he won't. He wouldn't be able to find her even if he was standing two feet in front of where she is right now. That's how well hidden she is. Where you need to be." said Draco.

"You know I'm not going to do that. Not while people are in danger over me. I'm helping. You can't stop me."

"Woman, you have got to be the most stubborn witch on the planet." said Draco rolling his eyes at me.

"You like it." I joked.

"I do. But not in this situation. And I still think this whole plan is bullshit."

"What else is there Draco? What else can we do? Especially seeing as now your mother and Jada are also in trouble? If something happened to them, I don't know what I would do with myself." I said feeling tears build up in my eyes.

Draco shook his head but he understood the seriousness of the situation. It had to be done. There was no other choice.

* * *

 _32 hours left_

To keep from the plan being overheard Ron brought his Auror friends to The Burrow to discuss. Blaise had returned as well and told us that Jada was safe. However, he would not reveal where she was nor go and retrieve her until this was all over.

"She's going to be 100% fine. Harry couldn't find her if he was Dumbledore himself rest his soul." said Blaise with confidence in his voice.

"Should we send an auror or two to the location for some added protection?" asked Oliver Wood. He became an auror after he stopped playing for Puddlemere 3 years ago.

"No." said Blaise promptly. "She is under the best protection next to me."

"Okay that settles that." said Ron sensing a bit of tension. "We need to get this plan executed. Now, Ginny, you know what you are to do correct?"

"I'm to write Harry a letter and say that I will meet him at Grimmauld or wherever he wishes me to meet him. If he doesn't tell me, and gives me a portkey, Blaise with put an undetectable tracker spell on it so you can know where I am at all times." I recited.

"Good." said Ron. "Okay. Now for some reason something backfires, which with Harry you never know, Ginny you will apparate away immediately."

"The hell I will!" I yelled. "This is just as much my fight as it is yours!"

"Don't give me that shit Gin! I don't want you hurt."

"I've been hurt for the past 6 years Ron!" I yelled. I didn't mean to say that, but it just came out and it was too late to try to take it back.

Ron didn't seem phased by my words like I thought he would. He just went back to discussing strategy with Oliver, Blaise, and the other aurors.

Being ignored only pissed me off more.

"RONALD WEASLEY LISTEN TO ME!" I screamed.

The 8 men at the table (5 aurors, Ron, Blaise, and Draco) all looked at me as if I was Voldemort reincarnate.

"I am not going to just run away while Harry is out here hurting people! He is my monster as well as others and I refuse to be the one to sit back and let you MEN take care of things like I'm some unliberated stay at home mum who just cooks, cleans, and stays barefoot and pregnant! I'm going to be there. I'm going to face him just like all of you will. And there isn't a damn thing any of you, and I do mean ANY of you, can do about it." I said looking Ron, Draco, and Blaise in their eyes as I said my words.

"Damn you Gryffindors." said Blaise. "Even the chicks. Why can't you just sit out of a fight for once." smirked Blaise.

"Sod off Zabini." I said as Draco smiled and pulled me onto his lap.

"Easy there, tiger." he whispered jokingly in my ear, kissing me on the cheek.

Ron shook his head. "It's not that I don't think you are capable or anything like that, Gin. I just don't want anything more to happen to you. The fact that you have been fighting for this long and I had no fucking clue pisses me off. I considered Harry my brother. Shit closer than my real brothers. I trusted him with you, my baby sister. And all while he was smiling in my face and acting like things were okay, he used you and abused you and I didn't know. I didn't do shit. I can't have you go through shit at the hands of him again, do you get that? Please Gin. Please."

I found myself tearing up. I felt an internal battle brewing. I wanted to fight. I wanted to be there. But I also didn't want Ron to stress over me getting hurt all over again just in case something went down. His words really made me wish I would have reached out and told him a long time ago, instead of trying to fight it all on my own.

"Okay fine Ron. If anything happens, I'll apparate back here." I said. Ron smiled thankful that for once I actually listened to him.

"Thanks Gin. But I think you should apparate somewhere else. Maybe to Hermione's mum and dad's? No...he would think to look there. Fuck..." said Ron, thinking outloud.

"She can go to my place in Ireland, Weasley." said Wood. "He wouldn't suspect that at all."

"And I'll go with her just in case." said Draco holding tight to my waist.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan." said an auror named David that was in Ravenclaw a year above Ron. "Miss Weasley, it starts with you. Write the letter."

"Write it on the parchment Potter sent, Gin." said Blaise handing me Harry's letter. "I have a feeling about this."

I took a quill and wrote under Harry's words.

 _Harry,_

 _Okay. I'll come back to you. Just please don't hurt anyone. I don't understand why you would do that in the first place. Promise that you won't hurt Cissy and Blaise's daughter and I promise to come back to you no questions asked._

 _Love,_

 _Ginny._

As soon as I signed my name the words disappeared. My mind flashed back to Tom's diary and I felt a wave of fear instantly crash into me.

"I thought as much." said Blaise. "He wouldn't use an owl that could be traced back to him or the area he is in. He is using some very old magic. Old, and untraceable."

A minute later words appeared where mine were.

 _Ginevra,_

 _Fine. Just meet me at the place where it first happened. You know exactly where I'm talking about. If you bring anyone else with you I'll kill you as well as them._

 _Love,_

 _Harry._

I shook my head. "He isn't stupid. Not by a long shot. He has picked somewhere where he knows no one can really do a lot due to the wards."

"What is he talking about Gin?" Draco asked.

"It's the place where... It's just a place that means a lot. The Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts."


	17. Chapter 16: The Encounter

Lying beside you

Listening to you breathe

The life that flows inside of you

Burns inside of me

Hold and speak to me

Of love without a sound

Tell me you will live through this

And I will die for you

Cast me not away

Say you'll be with me

For I know I cannot

Bear it all alone

-Evanescence Understanding

* * *

Chapter 16: The Encounter

 _22 hours left_

I woke up out of my sleep to a punch to my face.

I sat up on pain and ready to retaliate when I looked down and realized that it was from a dreaming Ginny.

She was thrashing in her sleep, fighting a force that wasn't there.

"Get away from me Harry!" she yelled. "Get back! Go away! No stop! You're hurting me!"

"Ginny love, wake up, you're dreaming" I said loudly in her ear and I tried to hold onto her. She squirmed as her face changed from anger to fear.

"NO HARRY STOP IT! PLEASE I BEG YOU STOP!"

"Ginny it's me. It's Draco wake up!"

HARRY NOOOOOO!"

"GINEVRA WAKE UP!" I yelled.

Ginny opened her eyes up with a pop. She stopped moving and stared at me as if she was trying to make sure I was who I said I was.

"Draco...is he?"

"It was just a dream love. It was just a dream. You're with me." I said calmly trying to get her to calm down and focus.

"Harry was chasing me! He had found me and tried to hurt me and I couldn't do anything..."

"He isn't here love. He's far away. Far far away. Probably being fucked by a goat or some shit." I said in a poor attempt to make her laugh. She rolled her eyes and gave a small smile which was enough for me.

"He was drunk. We were fighting about something, I don't really remember. Then he just lunged at me and started..."

"It was all a dream." I said rubbing her back. "Look around. You're in your old room at your old house surrounded by the people who love you. You're a floor away from your auror brother, across the hall from your brother who fights with dragons, and I'm right beside you. You're 100% safe."

Ginny started to relax but I could still feel her cautiousness. I pulled her close into my arms and held her trying to think how I could make her feel better.

"Remember in your 4th year when your brothers made that huge ass swamp when they left school and Flitwick shrunk it down to a patch and kept it?"

Ginny nodded.

"We Slytherins used to have a game where we would try to scale the wall above it. I remember when Zabini tried it and almost got up to a high torch when he fell backwards into it and almost sank."

Ginny looked up at me in amusement. "Sank? It was that bloody deep?" she asked.

"Hell yeah. You could go deep sea fishing for grindylows in there." I said laughing at a late night memory. "Theo Nott almost got his face gnawed off one night when we drunkenly went fishing for them."

Ginny laughed at the thought of that. It felt good hearing that genuine laugh. I hadn't heard it in days.

"I remember," said Ginny laying back on her pillow "when you kissed Pansy in front of my face. I was so mad at you but was even more mad at her because she looked me directly in my eye when she did it."

I cringed at that memory. "You know I didn't expect that"

"I know. But it didn't stop me from hexing her lips off."

I looked at her dumbstruck. "Fuck Gin, that was you?! No one knew how it happened, not even Pomfrey!"

Ginny looked smug. "I made it that way. Actually the twins taught it to me, and I enhanced it so the spell couldn't be detected so I couldn't be outed.

"You're a dangerous witch you know that right?" I said with slight fear in my voice.

Ginny winked at me and laid her head onto my chest. "Draco?" she asked in a timid voice.

"Yes, love?"

"Do you think that my brother and the others will be able to catch Harry? I'm so scared. Harry isn't the same person he used to be. He is an auror as well and he knows just as much as Ron and the others, if not more."

"Your brother isn't going to rest until Potter is in Azkaban, love. Potter may be smart, but your brother is as well and is also the best strategist I have ever met. Zabini and I shall be there for you too. Nothing is going to happen to you Princess. I promise you that."

Ginny smiled and snuggled up as close as she could to me. I twisted strands of her auburn hair with my fingers as we laid there in silence.

I could have moments like this for the rest of my life if she allowed me to. Ginny had became just as essential to me as food, water, and air, and she had no idea.

I listened as her breathing slowed down and she started to breathe in the rhythm of sleep. I looked down at her gorgeous face. She looked so vulnerable and angelic in her sleep. My beautiful phoenix rising.

I kissed her on her forehead and she grinned in her sleep making me chuckle slightly. Never had another witch made me feel the deep feelings that I truly felt for her. I found myself drifting off to sleep thinking about her and I when all this bullshit was over.

* * *

 _10 hours left_

Hogwarts. My second home.

The castle had still looked the same despite the war and the things that transpired with that. I found myself wishing I was a teenager again, reliving my best as well as some of my worst days in the school.

As Weasley and the other Aurors set their trap, Zabini, Hermione, Ginny, and I walked with McGonagall through the school. Ginny, Zabini, and I laughed as we seen places that had significance to the three of us, bringing up memories both good as well as bad.

McGonagall had had the students moved to a undisclosed location to avoid any student casualties. Potter had become so unpredictable that we really didn't know if he would try to do something to a student.

McGonagall took most of the protective wards down for the sake of the aurors and the things that they had to do. It was nearing time for Ginny to call for Potter and everyone was on edge.

"Draco, I'm scared." said Ginny as she sat at Gryffindor table in the great hall.

"Scared? This was your idea." I reminded her.

"Yeah well still. It scares me. What if something goes wrong?"

"Your brother, the team, Malfoy, and I are here, Red." reassured Zabini. "Nothing will happen to you."

"But what about them? And the two of you? Harry is mental. No telling what he might do. I don't want to lose any of you. Especially Ron and you two."

"Let us worry about that wanker, Gin." I said rubbing her back. "We shall be fine. You just remember to leave if shit hits the fan."

"You'll be with me?"

"That's a promise."

* * *

 _8 hours left (switching to Ginny's POV)_

I stood in the middle of the Quidditch pitch with the parchment and quill in my hands and my wand in the wand pocket of my jeans. I sat down on the ground and let the memories of both good and bad sweep over me.

Contrary to popular belief, Harry Potter was not my first. Dean Thomas was. I had regretted that from the moment I woke up the next morning. He was very uncomfortable and it hurt and while people before me told me that the first time more than likely wouldn't be that good, I didn't think it would be complete rubbish. The next 3 times that we had done it wasn't any better.

Next was Harry. Before the dark times Harry was sweet and caring. He seemed to really want to take care of my body. He always wanted me to be comfortable. The day before I returned to Hogwarts I remember that we had an argument over something really dumb. It led to some very nice make up sex. But that was the last time that he was nice about it.

After that things seemed like an obligation. And after he got violent it seemed like it was only for him. And then it turned into being unwanted. If I ever told my family that on top of being beaten I was raped as well I'm pretty sure my brothers would personally rip Harry to shreds.

The first time he had raped me was at the very place that he had wanted to meet. The quidditch pitch. It was after an alumni game. Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw. He thought that I had been flirting with Michael Corner, an old fling of mine, but that was far from the truth. After the game, he came and waited for me to get out of the showers and he had attacked me and "punished" me for looking at another man. That was one of the most degrading experiences of my life. And from that day on, I never stepped in that pitch again. I didn't even go to Harry and Ron's alumni game the following year. Which delighted Harry because they had played Slytherin and I didn't get to see Blaise nor Draco.

The thought of that moment made me tremble as I sat in the grass trying to get up the courage to write on the parchment. I had no desire to see Harry. If I could live my life and never see that man again I would die a happy woman. But I knew that it would never happen as long as he was out here. He had to be stopped.

I took a deep breath and smoothed out the parchment onto the ground.

 _Harry,_

 _I am here and I'm alone. Just come so we can talk about this. And please keep your promise of not hurting anyone._

 _Ginny_

The words disappeared and I stared at the black space that they had left. A few seconds later I heard a pop. I jumped up off the ground and stood face to face with the man that I used to love. The man that had caused me so much pain both physically and emotionally.

He looked at me through his rounded frames. His emerald eyes seemed as if they had the twinkle of our teenage years. Back when things were innocent and somewhat carefree. But I knew that was a ploy. His blood ran cold now.

And I could see that in his sneer.

"Ginevra," said Harry, as if he had just happened upon me at The Three Broomsticks. "I've missed you."

My heart was beating so fast and so strong it felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. "I wish I could say the same Harry but you know why I can't."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Harry don't. Let's not play stupid. We both know why you are here. Let's just get this over with so we can continue with life and whatever this is."

"I don't believe you Ginny." said Harry. "How do i know you won't run off to that prick Malfoy?"

I tried hard to keep my composure as he said Draco's name with such hate behind it. It irritated me.

"I won't. You would just have to trust me."

All of a sudden my mind started to race. I was seeing images of Hogwarts. The Yule Ball. The day Blaise got picked up by the giant squid and thrashed around in the lake. The night Harry kissed Cho and I stayed crying about it on Draco's arms with Draco asking me over and over why was I worried about the git. Images of Draco and me at the park with Jada.

Then I realized what Harry was doing. Harry was using Occlumency on me. And it was too late to stop him.

I took a couple steps back as the image of Draco holding me as I slept flashed in my mind. That's when Harry had stopped.

There saw nothing but rage on his face.

"Are you fucking serious Ginevra?! You fucked him?! YOU FUCKED HIM?!" he yelled enraged.

"No! No we have never had sex! What are you talking about?!" I yelled shaking.

"Yes you fucking did! I saw you in his arms in his damn bed! You fucking lying bitch! You whore!"

"Harry I didn't!"

"SHUT UP! " he yelled and then the next second, all I felt was pain. I had felt this before and knew what it was, but it was stronger, fueled by his rage over my apparent betrayal.

Harry had crucioed me.

I felt myself scream. The scream came from every part of my body. The pain was like nothing I have ever felt despite this having happened to me mere months ago. It felt like fire. Hell. That's what this was. Pure hell.

And then my world faded to black.


	18. Chapter 17: The Interrogation

And who do you think you are?

Runnin' 'round leaving scars

Collecting your jar of hearts

Tearing love apart

You're gonna catch a cold

From the ice inside your soul

Don't come back for me

Don't come back at all

-Christina Perri Jar Of Hearts

* * *

Chapter 17: The Interrogation

I watched her as she slept. Hermione had given her a Dreamless Sleep potion when Ginny had woken up screaming at the top of her lungs.

We were at Oliver Wood's mansion in Ireland. Wood had brought in his own private healers as well as Gin's personal healer Desole to treat her, as we didn't think she wanted to go back to St. Mungo's.

The healers had said that the cruciatus hadn't messed with her brain function but unfortunately it had torn at her reproductive system badly. She more than likely wouldn't be able to have kids. They gave her some endurance and strengthening potion as well.

I didn't know how to tell her that when she woke up. I knew that it would devastate her. She really wanted to be a mother someday. And Potter had officially robbed her of that.

I hated him with every fiber of my being.

After they were done with her and confirmed that she would be fine, I went in and laid beside her. Her face was swollen and she had bruises on her arm from hitting the ground. I hated myself for not getting to her soon enough.

I must had fallen asleep because the next thing I knew someone was poking me. And then pushing on me. And then...

"What the hell! Stop tickling me woman!" I yelled trying to control my laughter as a very awake Ginny was tickling my sides.

Ginny laughed, and laid down in top of me. It was great to see her bounce back from this so quickly.

"I had to wake you up some kind of way." said Ginny with a smile. "You were drooling and mumbling in your sleep."

"I was having good dreams. You interrupted them." I said wrapping my arms around her. "How are you feeling?"

"Slight headache but I feel fine. Better than fine actually. But what happened?" asked Ginny.

*FLASHBACK*

I stood disillusioned at my spot outside the locker room at the quidditch pitch. I watched as Ginny started to write on the parchment. Seconds later Potter apparated in front of her. I instantly got my wand at the ready.

They stood apart from each other talking. Ginny had a look of a mixture of fear and determination. As if she was trying hard to keep her composure.

All of a sudden Ginny went stiff and her eyes shut tight. Shit! He had used occlumency on her! Fuck!

""YOU FUCKED HIM?!" I heard Potter yell.

I began to step out but one of the aurors stopped me. I glared at him.

"SHUT UP!" Potter screamed. And then I saw it.

Ginny started shaking and yelling. She fell hard to the ground. I pushed the auror away from me and ran to her. He hit her with another spell and she shook and screamed a bloodcurdling scream that would forever haunt my worst nightmares.

I rammed into Potter wrestling him to the ground. Fuck the plan. I was not going to allow this to happen.

I punched him so many times I lost count. Potter didn't do anything back, he just laughed. It irritated me tremendously. Why was this bastard laughing?!

I heard footsteps rushing toward me. I looked up and seen Weasley, Wood, and the others charging towards us. I stood up and pointed my wand to his face. I was ready to kill him. I was ready to watch him die at my hands.

But Ginny's small moan caught my ear.

I looked over and seen her on the ground. I went over to her as the aurors apprehended Potter. I lifted her up and carried her off the field.

*END FLASHBACK*

"So...so you got him?,You really got him?" Ginny whispered.

"Yes love. He's in your brother's custody. He won't be popping up anytime soon." I said.

Ginny sighed a huge sigh of relief. She buried her face into my chest and let the tears flow out of her eyes. I stroked her hair as she cried tears of happiness. She deserved them.

When she was finished she took her sleeve and wiped her tears off my chest laughing. It felt good to hear her cheerfully and willingly laugh.

"So what happens now?" asked Ginny moving up further onto my body.

"Your brother and the others will interrogate Potter. And then he will get a trial. Hopefully his ass will go to Azkaban for a long time. He could actually get the kiss."

Ginny's eyes grew big. "But, he would lose his soul."

"If you ask me love, his soul left a long time ago." I said stroking her cheek.

Ginny nodded in agreement.

"Do you think I could be there when they question him?" asked Ginny.

"Of course. You may have to speak to your brother about it, but I don't see why not."

"Can I maybe talk to him?"

I looked at her. She looked back at me with determination in her face.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Same answer then Princess. Same answer."

* * *

Two days later we sat in Weasley's office along with Zabini. Weasley had almost begged Ginny to change her mind about speaking to Potter, but Ginny had her mind made up.. She was determined to speak to him.

He led us out of the office and to the elevators. We traveled down a few floors. The air started to get a bit warmer around us. We were obviously going deep deep underground.

When the elevator stopped, Weasley led us down a long hallway. We started going through doors that had different locks on them. A couple of them, Zabini had to unlock, as they were coded.

"Why so much security, Ron?" asked Ginny.

"Harry's a risk. A big one. Can't take any chances with the git." said Ron sadly.

Finally we approached a room that had a big window. In the room sat Potter on a small cot with an extremely bright light over him. He looked as if he was exhausted, but very much angry.

"You'll have to give me your wand Gin. Wands aren't allowed in there in case Harry can get a hold of it." said Weasley quietly.

Ginny nodded and handed him her wand.

"Will you come in with me?" she asked me.

"Of course , Princess." I said giving Weasley my wand as well.

Weasley pointed his wand to the door and it slid open. Ginny and I walked in.

Potter's eyes locked on Ginny as she walked in and sat at the table that was in the middle of the room. He didn't move toward the table. Instead he got up and leaned against the wall and smirked when he looked over at me.

His eyes were violently bright. The only other time I had seen Potter's eyes get that bright is when he got me with that fucking Sectumsempra 6th year.

"Ginevra." he said in a low monotone voice.

"Harry." said Ginny, eyes filled with that fire that I had not seen since school. I secretly cheered.

"What are you doing here?" asked Potter.

"You know why I'm here. I want to know why."

"Why what?"

"Don't be stupid Harry. You know what the hell I mean!" yelled Ginny banging her fists on the table.

Potter laughed. It sounded demented. "So I guess you feel a bit of bravery because your little ferret bitch is here with you."

I couldn't help but speak. "She doesn't need me here with her Potter. Ginny can handle herself."

Potter huffed, as if the thought was laughable. "Sure she can. She hasn't all these years, what makes you think she can now?"

"Because I'm not going to let you walk all over me anymore. You won't ever again." growled Ginny.

Potter rolled his eyes. "You're wasting my time. On with it Ginevra."

"Fine. Why Harry? Why did you do what you did to me? All these years you have treated me like absolute shit! I endured so much shit from you. Picked you up when you were down. Lied for you. I tried to help you overcome whatever this is you are under. Why?! Why did you treat me the way you did?"

"You sound like such a fucking victim Ginny! You have no idea what I have been through. My parents died. Sirius died. I almost lost my best friends multiple times, almost got killed by the most evil wizard that ever lived. I spent the majority of my teenage life not trying to fucking die! I've ran from Death Eaters for almost 5 years and then to come home to a woman who pines over a bastard who's father was a huge factor in that bloody war who he himself tried to kill me before as well. A woman who wouldn't leave whatever the hell she did with that pale haired bastard in the past!"

Ginny gasped. I was beyond confused.

"Oh you didn't think I knew Ginny? I used to see the way you would look and interact with him at school. I heard the talks you have in your sleep. You've been saying that slimy git's name in your sleep for YEARS! You never fucking loved me! How the hell did you fall for a fucking Death Eater?! The scum of the fucking earth! You had the gall to tell me you loved me when you were in love with that fucking prick the whole time!"

"So you beat me, cursed me, hexed me, made me feel like shit, because of your jealousy of a man you forbade me to see?! A man that was my friend and was actually a good person to me? Am I hearing this shit right?" yelled Ginny.

"Like what the hell Potter! If you knew that shit why didn't you just leave her instead of beating her ass?!" I yelled, my rage building.

"And let you have what I had had since I was 12 years old?! Ginny was always mine. I let that Ravenclaw git and Thomas get their fill of her, but I was not about to let you think you were ever gonna touch what was mine!" yelled Potter, looking as if he wanted to strangle me.

"Oh you sound like a jealous bloody 3rd year! A fucking little ass kid!" yelled Ginny. "You never had me. You don't own me! And I would have gladly been with Draco a thousand times had I known what an abusive bastard you really were! You will never ever ever in your entire life put your hands on me again! I hope you rot in Azkaban. In fact, you can rot in hell!"

She got up, took my hand, and pulled me to the door. Weasley opened it, and let us out.

Immediately, Ginny broke down in tears. I pulled her into me and held her tight as she held me even tighter.

"You were brilliant, baby." I whispered as I stroked her hair and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Absolutely brilliant."

I was so bloody proud of her.

My Princess had gotten her fire back.


	19. Chapter 18: : As Real As It Gets

We may struggle

We may even very well see hell's front gates

Don't think that you are alright

Are above making mistakes

Said I'm gonna get on your damn nerves

And you're gonna make me mad

But I believe we can survive all that

Cause a love this good could never be that bad

-Ne-Yo Genuine Only

* * *

Chapter 18: As Real As It Gets

After leaving the Ministry, Draco, Blaise, and I apparated to Hogsmeade. I was in great need of sugar and lots of it.

We went to Honeydukes where we got a heavy assortment of sugar quills, droobles best blowing gum, fizzing whizbees, slabs of chocolate as well as a few chocolate frogs, and Blaise's personal favorite, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

We looked as if we were students back at Hogwarts on a Hogsmeade visit. Besides Ron, we used to be Honeydukes best customers.

We then went back to Blaise's mum to have her retrieve Jada from wherever she was. When Camilla returned with the little girl, she was ecstatic to be home with her father. She ran straight to him. Blaise held her in his arms. It was the first time I had ever seen him cry.

The whole scene made me want to tear up as well. Being around Jada and also my nieces and nephews made the thirst for a child even stronger. I longed for that unconditional love, that mama bear mentality. Dirty jeans or frilly dresses. No daughter of mine would probably ever want to be dressed in ribbon and bows.

As I watched Jada and Blaise, I could feel Draco's eyes on me. He hadn't really let me out his sight since the interrogation, but this felt different.

I looked at him and I could see a smile on his face, but sadness in his eyes. His eyes always told the truth about how he was feeling. And right now, they were telling me that something was wrong.

Camilla insisted we stay for dinner, so after that we apparated back to Draco's home. It felt more peaceful there now that we knew that Harry was tucked away.

We sat on the couch, me sitting between Draco's legs, him softly rubbing up and down my arm. It was a very uncomfortable silence.

"What's wrong?" I asked him expecting the answer he would give.

"What do you mean?" he asked back.

Knew it.

"Why are you so quiet? You've been quiet since we left Harry."

"No I haven't. Maybe you just haven't been listening to me when I talked."

I leaned back farther into him so I could turn my head to look at his face. "Liar. Something is wrong."

"And you know this how?"

"You have been looking gloomy all day, Draco. Stop with this, you know you cannot lie to me."

Draco made a defeated sigh. "I just feel bad about the other day. With what happened."

"It wasn't your fault Draco."

"I promised you nothing would happen. That you wouldn't get hurt. I should have moved quicker." said Draco looking away from me.

I sat up and turned to face him. I hated when he went all depressed on me. That was not his nature.

"Stop talking like a Gryffindor. It's not your style." I said trying to lighten up his mood. It didn't work.

"It's not funny Ginny. This shit is my fault. I was the closest one to you. Me and one of those bloody aurors. And I chose to sit there and listen to the man tell me not to move. I should have when Potter first started getting loud with you. Maybe you wouldn't have gotten crucioed."

"Is that what your mood is about? Draco, you are not a mind reader, and even if you were you wouldn't have known what he was going to do. And it's okay love. Look at me. I'm fine."

"No you're not." said Draco in a low voice.

"Yes I am. See? No cuts, no blood, maybe.a couple bruises but-"

"You're not fine Ginevra okay?!" said Draco getting up and walking away from me.

"Draco? No don't you walk away from me sir! What is your problem? I'm okay. See me here with you? Moving around sounding okay? I'm fine."

"He fucked you up Gin! He really fucked you up!" yelled Draco, eyes swirling with anger.

I was stunned. All I could do was stand there and look at him, confused and anxious to know what he was talking about.

"Oliver's healers as well as that Desole woman all confirmed it. That last cruciatus curse messed up your reproductive system. You won't be able to have kids." he said looking at me as if he wanted to cry.

I felt my heart drop to my feet. I couldn't tell what was up and what was down. He didn't just say that. I wasn't hearing right. That's it. Either I heard him wrong or it was some sort of sick joke.

"Draco don't say that. Why are you telling me this?" I whimpered.

"This isn't a game Gin. It's the truth. And I wish I could do something about it but they said that it's too late. That it would take some sort of divine miracle for you to even get pregnant, and even more of one for you to keep it. I'm...I'm sorry."

My legs felt as if they were going to give out on me. I sat back on the couch quickly before I flat out fell. I felt as if I wanted to cry, but no tear would form in my eyes.

He had done it. He had took the one thing that he knew I had always wanted to do. The one thing that I was looking forward to doing. I had had dreams about it for years. Draco and I with pretty little strawberry blonde children running around. He had stolen that ability from me.

What good was I for now?

"I think I need to leave." I whispered though Draco heard me.

"What? Why?"

"I shouldn't be here. I'm useless."

"Useless? What the hell are you talking about?" asked Draco.

"What good am I for now Draco?!" I yelled. "I'm just this shell of a broken woman. I can't even have fucking kids! I can't...what good am I to you?"

Draco's mouth dropped. "I can't believe you just said that. So basically you feel that you aren't shit to me because you can't have a baby?!"

"That was the only thing I had left to offer Draco, you don't understand! I thought...I dreamt..."

"Wait...you wanted to...are you saying that you wanted to have children with me? And now you feel like you're no longer good enough for me because you can't?"

I nodded and held my head down in shame.

Draco walked over and knelt down in front of me. He took my chin and lifted it up so he could see my face and our eyes met.

"Isn't that what puppies are for?" he asked.

My eyes got big. I couldn't believe he just said that to me. Something that I knew that he had said to make me laugh felt like the most heartwarming thing that he could have ever said.

I instantly felt a thousand times better. If Voldemort came back to life and did a muggle tap dance on Draco's lawn, I wouldn't have cared.

"A puppy? You would get a puppy with me?"

"Or a cat. I like cats better actually. They make you work for their affection unlike a clingy ass dog." said Draco smiling at me.

I leapt into his arms so hard, I caused him to fall to the floor. He laughed and he held me as I gave him quick kisses all over his face.

He rolled over, taking me with him as my lips met his.

"And even though this happened Gin, it's not like we can't adopt a baby. True, it would be biologically ours, but it would still be our baby." said Draco smiling down at me.

"You would do that? You really would do that for me?"

"I would do anything for you. I'm surprised you haven't grasped that concept yet. I love you Ginny." said Draco.

I melted. To hear him say something that I had always wanted to hear from him outside of friendship made me want to have my heart out and give it to him. He loved me. He really really loved me. Despite what I had been through. Despite what I had put him through. He genuinely loved me.

"I love you too Draco. So so much." I said, tears finally forming and falling as he sat up with me and held me as tight as he could without breaking me.

For the first time in my getting ready to be 24 years of my life I truly felt love. Oh sure, my family loved me. My closest friends loved me. But this was the love of two people that meant it. Two souls that had found each other and were willing to become one. Whatever Harry claimed he had for me, even before the fighting started, wasn't love at all. This. What me and Draco had. This was what it felt like to truly be in love.

"You know," whispered Draco seductively in my ear. "We could always prove the healers wrong. With a bit of practice."

I pulled back, looked into his eyes, and saw raw lust. And I'm pretty sure he saw it in mine as well.

"We certainly can." I agreed excitedly, hopping up and pulling Draco up with me. "Let's get started!"


	20. Epilogue: A New Beginning

And we are at the end!

I really enjoyed writing this story. And I am glad to know that it had helped some of you with situations that you have been in, are in, or have survived. Thank you for by our reviews and messages and encouragement. And once again I will say, if you are in a situation of domestic violence please get out of it. You are more than what you think you are worth and no one ever deserves to be treated as less than a person.

* * *

Thanks for staying on the ride.

Baby I love you, you are my life

My happiest moments weren't complete if you weren't by my side

You're my relation and connection to the sun

With you next to me, there's no darkness I can't overcome

You are my raindrops, I am the seed

With you and God, who's my sunlight, I'm blooming, grown so beautifully

Baby I'm so proud, proud to be your girl

You make the confusion go all away from this cold and misty world

-Destiny's Child Dangerously In Love

Epilogue: A New Beginning

 _September 1, 2016_

"Right on time. With 30 minutes to spare. I told you that was a shortcut." I said to Ginny as we pulled up to Kings Cross.

"You know, you could have told me about that when we were in school." Ginny said rolling her eyes. "I could have actually made it to the platform on time instead of always rushing."

"It's not my fault you Weasley's were slow."

"Hey, I'm a Malfoy now." said my beautiful wife.

"That you are. But you will always have that Weasley trait of never being on time for anything."

"Hey! Don't give me that you ferret." laughed Ginny as we got out of the car.

"If the two of you would stop acting younger than I am for a second please and help me with my trunk." said a sweet but very bossy and impatient voice coming from the back of the car.

"Excuuuuuuse me miss. We are so sorry to have kept you waiting for something that you don't even know about." I told my daughter as I pulled her trunk out of the back seat.

"I do too know about it." said Elaina, stomping her foot. "Uncle Ron told me that if you don't get there soon enough that the train would leave you and you would have to fly a car there yourself. And I don't know how to fly a car."

Ginny laughed and hugged our poorly misinformed child. "That's because your uncle didn't want to wait to see if Grampa and Gran would get him there. Him and his foolish old friend decided to take it upon themselves to fly Grampa's car there. But we aren't late. In fact, as your father stated, we are actually quite early.

Elaina smiled up at Ginny as the three of us headed into King's Cross station. We ran through Platform 9 3/4 and Elaina's eyes lit up as she saw the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

This was her first year going to Hogwarts. Seeing her look at the train for the first time reminded me of my first year. At the time I really had to hold in my excitement of it all, but I knew that my life had officially started once I saw that train.

I looked over at Ginny and she had the same look of awe as me and Elaina had, as if it was her first time seeing it too. I couldn't help but smile at her as she took my hand and pulled me along with Elaina pulling her looking at all the different people on the platform.

We had spotted Blaise and Jada, along with his wife Parvati's (they made up and had a baby by her right around the time Ginny and I adopted Elaina and shortly after that, got married) son Ezra, who was starting his first year as well, and their youngest daughter Shaniah who was 8. At 16, Jada was starting her 6th year and Elaina looked up to Jada as if she was her big sister.

"Glad to see you here finally old man." said Blaise as the kids and wives chatted. "Feels like old times again. "

"Yeah. All I need now is Pansy clinging to my arm and my father spouting out how Malfoys do and do not do this that and the other and it would be exactly like old times." I said rolling my eyes.

"I just saw her and Goyle actually. They dropped off their kids and left. She looked irritated as usual."

"Divorce will do that to you won't it?" I said shaking my head. Pansy and Goyle had gotten a divorce 6 years ago when their twins had started school. They had figured out that they had only stuck in the marriage for the kids and it didn't make much sense to stay in it anymore. The kids actually thought it was for the better, and it seemed to be working out.

Ginny was suddenly bombarded by tons of red headed, dark haired, and fair haired children. Her nieces and nephews. Hermione and Ron's oldest, Rose, was going into her second year. Their son Hugo, would be starting next year. The Weasley clan basically dominated the school with a few in each house but Slytherin. They could basically have their own car on the train if they all sat together. And there were still a few left to go.

After everybody had found their friends they each had boarded the train. Elaina had lingered, grabbing onto my hand.

"Daddy, would you think ill of me if I wanted to be in Gryffindor like Jada and Mummy?" she asked.

"No baby, I wouldn't." I told her. "Even though your old man is a Slytherin, as you can see, I don't have a problem with having Gryffindors in the family."

"What if I don't fit into any house Daddy? Will they send me home?"

"No. They will just put you in Hufflepuff." I said jokingly, kissing her on the forehead. "I love you. And you will be great."

"I love you too Daddy. You too mum." said Elaina hugging Ginny.

Ginny squeezed Elaina tight and kissed her on the cheek. Elaina boarded the train with a waiting Ezra, her best friend, and they disappeared into the crowd of scrambling kids trying to find a seat.

The train started to pull off and we watched and waved as the kids that could get to the windows (Elaina included) waved at us back. Soon the train had disappeared into the distance.

Ginny looked at me with happy tears in her eyes. "You think she will be okay?" she asked me.

"Oh yeah." I said. She's a Malfoy. And besides, she has a whole gang of Weasley cousins as well as Ezra and Jada to watch out for her. Elaina will the most protected kid in Hogwarts."

* * *

 _November 12, 2016_

As I sat in my living room with Hermione, I looked around and got lost in the pictures on the wall. A lot of them moving. And a few that were muggle made.

I looked at the picture that we took on our wedding day. We had gotten married a month after we got together, a week after he had proposed to me. We both knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together so why wait?

It was a gorgeous wedding. Jada was the flower girl and she looked just like a little princess as she came flowing down the aisle throwing petals in every direction on the ground. Cissy and my mum cried the whole time. Ron made the most beautiful toast to us, thanking Draco for saving me from Harry.

As for Harry, he was currently spending the rest of his life in Azkaban. The fact that he had used unforgivable curses had gave him that automatic life sentence. He hadn't gotten the kiss, but he was miserable and locked away and I hadn't heard from him since 2010, when he wrote to me saying how sorry he was for everything that he had done. I had forgiven him a long time ago for the pain that he put me though. I had to in order for me and Draco to be able to have a happy marriage. But I would never forget. And I did not write him back.

In December of 2004, we got a cat. A pretty all white cat with gray eyes that loves Draco more than me. In June of 2005, we had adopted our daughter, Elaina Narcissa Malfoy. She was a half-blood, but we didn't care. Her birth mother was a scared witch who was only 16 and didn't know a thing about taking care of a baby, so she happily gave Elaina to us. Elaina knew she was adopted and she also knew her birth mother. She would come by and visit from time to time.

Pictures of her growing up, along with pictures of my nieces, nephews, and godchildren were all over the walls of the room. A couple newly restored pictures of me, Draco, and Blaise as students and one of just Draco and I in his 7th year and my 6th were hanging up as well. Those two pictures were my all time favorites.

I truly loved my unofficial brother and deeply and immensely adored my husband. Both of them had been my rocks. My saviors. My knights. Without them, especially Draco, I would have more than likely died eventually. They had saved me. And nothing in this world that I could do would ever be able to repay them for them giving me my life back.

I heard the small timer go off and I ran over to the bathroom counter and looked down at the four stick that was sitting on it. My eyes bulged as I looked at each one carefully, so I wouldn't get my information wrong.

Draco had just popped in from work. I ran and jumped straight into his arms like a schoolgirl, tears flowing from my eyes.

Draco caught me and looked at my face, his eyes filled with worry and anticipation. "Gin love. What's wrong? What happened?"

"Draco, I'm pregnant!" I screamed.

* * *

 _July 14, 2017_

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" yelled Ginny as she looked at me with rage in her eyes.

I didn't know what to say. All I could do was look at her and feel horrible.

"Oh Draco don't be like that." said Mother laughing. "She's in pain and she's having a baby. She will say anything. Happens all the time."

"This shit happens all the time you say?" I said trying to bring up a laugh. But I really couldn't as I didn't like seeing Ginny in the immense pain she was in.

"Why why WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?! YOU JUST COULDN'T KEEP YOUR DICK TO YOURSELF! AND NOW I'M PUSHING A HIPPOGRIFF OUT OF A WAND HOLDER!" screamed Ginny, this time, making me laugh.

"Ginevra I need you to focus." said Desole. "You're almost there. One more big push!"

Ginny's face turned red as she pushed and pushed and pushed. I held onto one hand, Mother held onto my other hand, while Mrs. Weasley held Ginny's other hand.

Ginny let out one more huge scream and then there it was.

The most beautiful sound that I have ever heard in my entire life.

The cries of my baby.

Our miracle baby.

Our son.

Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy

~Fin~


End file.
